Happily Ever After
by Little Miss Alley Cat
Summary: In a world where magic is hanging on by threads, war is barely contained, and it feels as if there's no one you can trust, three girls have realized that not everything is a fairytale. Things don't always work out—especially when involving boys—and all you can do is push forward. Push through the pain, the sorrow, turmoil, and earn your happily ever after.
1. Denials

**_Disclaimer: Thank Craig Mccraken. I don't - nor will I ever - own the Powerpuff Girls._**

* * *

 ** _~ Chapter 1 ~_**

 **Denials**

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"I'm going out!" A young woman called in a sing-song voice, slamming the door with all her might; the whole castle seemed to tremble from the force. The voices of a dozen maids screaming out in both fear and anger could be heard, but they were soon drowned out by a singular, extremely irritated growl.

Not even bothering to glance back at the wake she left behind, Buttercup strutted all the way to the stables, grabbing her bow and quiver that were hidden amongst a clump of trees.

To Buttercup there were two very different kinds of girls in the world. Her kind, and the other kind. The ones that wore pants and combat-ready shoes with their hair usually cut short or tied up were her people. The ones that enjoyed owning numerous dresses and wearing delicate looking heels or flats were the others.

She was a strong-willed person that didn't like rules or being contained. When she crossed roads with the opposing archetype, they'd often whisper of her medium length pitch as black hair in the high ponytail she preferred, her men styled clothing, and of course, her boots for battle.

Bubbles was one of these girls. Big blue eyes, long wavy blonde hair, and a slim figure made her fit in perfectly with the others. Of course, being Buttercup's sister automatically put her in a higher level than the others, but she was still one of them, nonetheless.

Her younger sibling enjoyed shopping and gossiping and makeup. The thought of such things, however, made the green-eyed girl quite uneasy. Most of the time she didn't converse much with Bubbles.

Blossom, on the other hand, was a whole different situation all together. She didn't fit into either type, and mostly drifted in between. Buttercup had considered creating a new, third category at times, but decided against it.

There were still two main types, Buttercup concluded, but there were still in between zones. Blossom liked gowns and gushed at pretty things. Point one for Team Two. She voiced every thought on her mind and was very, very stubborn. Point for Team One.

The list could go on forever, but in the end, the red-head was stuck in the In-Between Zone. Drifting in the abyss of identity. Conforming to society's standards of women, or becoming the dreaded rebel.

Obviously, Buttercup wasn't particularly fond of either of her siblings. She was tired of one always being mellow and at times even cowardly when around her, while the other constantly berated her for her reckless actions.

Today was no different.

She could feel her sister's presence by the fiery rage that could easily rival her own, yet made no attempt to quicken her leisurely pace. She took her time to bend down and tie her boots, and when she stood up again, she was met with a pair of blazing pink eyes.

"Hello, Blossom, lovely day, isn't it?" She greeted nonchalantly, stepping onto a bale of hay to mount her steed, Spitfire. Her sister was not amused.

"Do you realize how much trouble you have just caused for the maids?" Blossom reprimanded, her hands placed firmly on her hips in a way that usually intimidated others, but failed to work on Buttercup.

The raven haired girl merely shrugged and tugged on her horse's reins, leading him out of the stall. "All I did was slide down the banister. It was their fault they weren't paying attention to their own _princess_. Besides, I'm fairly certain that they will be able to clean up the mess I accidentally caused." Blossom narrowed her eyes at her. "After all, they are the best help around. Don't you agree?"

"Well, of course, but—"

Buttercup smirked and shook the reins, Spitfire speeding up to a canter before going into a full gallop. "But nothing. Tell the girls I'm sorry I'd created a massive jumble of tripping servants and shattering plates. I'm sure they'll understand." She waved back, laughing loudly.

Blossom, on the other hand, was obviously not as amused by the situation as her younger sibling, the the frown remained on her face.

"I promise to bring you back some rabbit!" Buttercup hollered before disappearing into the woods.

She patted Spitfire and chuckled to herself. It had been a week since she last left the castle, and it had been killing her. Confined to a small room with nothing to do except answer the letters from the neighboring kingdoms about the annual Christmas Festival, the only time of the year when a truce would be called and the war ceased.

Just the thought made her shudder. It was always a masquerade party held in the streets of the chosen kingdom. Last year was Cador, this year was her kingdom, Selodia.

She was jarred from her thoughts when her horse suddenly reared on his hind legs and neighed loudly. She had barely caught sight of the stag when it dashed off into the thick woods.

Wasting no time, Buttercup shook Spitfire's reins and reached behind to notch an arrow. The trees blurred, but she didn't lose sight of her target. The stag was quick, though, and she knew her horse wouldn't be able to keep up for long.

Luckily, there was a small trail snaking off of the main path, and Buttercup took it without hesitation. She would ride side by side with her prey, to get a better chance at a shot at its chest, rather than its back. Urging Spitfire to go even faster, she brought her bow up, an arrow already in place. Only one good shot before the path was cut off by the dense plant growth.

The world seemed to slow down as she took a deep breath and pulled the string to her cheek, her eyes focused on the creature across from her, speeding past various obstacles, occasionally leaping.

The arrow flew in a straight, clear line, cutting through the air with precision. And despite the accuracy of her shot, she still missed.

The stag had seemingly foreseen it, and at the last second, right before it went right through its heart, it had swerved. It was as if it's entire body was like... Water. Bending and stretching and not one bone snapping. A full ninety degrees, it turned, up the gentle slope leading to the darker forest where little ventured, and the "mystical beings" supposedly dwelled.

Buttercup yanked on Spitfire's reins, hard, stopping the horse in his tracks. She guided him back to the small clearing, studying the surrounding trees.

Her father used to read her stories about them, late at night, after he finished up all the castle work. Of course, he also read about the classic Cinderella and such, but she always thought of them as unrealistic and fake.

The stories about the trees that talked, giant fish that swam in the lakes and rivers, and creatures that went about at night, prowling for prey had seemed much more… possible. It wasn't hard to believe with all the rumors going on about strange disappearances at night and whatnot. She shot the small clearing one last look, then turned Spitfire around and started to go back.

It wasn't long before she realized she was dreadfully lost. She hadn't been paying attention to the turns she was making and ended up at an unfamiliar waterfall, one that was not yet marked on the map she and Mitchell had made many years ago.

After feeding Spitfire a shiny red apple, she chose a particularly tall tree to climb. Though the view was fantastic, she couldn't quite tell where she was.

The mountains were to her right, which meant she had to go the opposite way to get home. It would be a treacherous journey through the dense woods, but she was sure Spitfire could handle it. The rest was a sea of trees, which was quite strange, considering how usually she would be able to see the castle. Another one of the world's mysteries. She'd have to ask Blossom about this too, along with the water-deer.

Since Buttercup was fairly certain that she would be able to arrive home long before dinnertime, she decided to just relax for a while. She sat beneath the tree, feeling the cool breeze brushing across her cheek as she slowly drifted off.

Buttercup bolted upright, her knife brandished at the boy before her, who had a bewildered expression. He put his hands up and leaned back, away from the blade.

"Who are you?" She demanded, quickly standing up, making sure the knife was still pointed at his heart.

He blinked and rose slowly, obviously unaware of the terrible crime he had committed. "My name is Travis Storme. I'm from Gadrea." He flashed her a smile that probably melted the hearts of other girls. "And you?"

Buttercup looked him up and down quickly, taking in the messy dark hair, forest green gaze, and of course, the assortment of knives in his bandolier, reflecting off the sun.

She sneered at him. "Trying to be funny? Stop. You look like an idiot." She jabbed the knife upwards, slightly grazing the skin of his cheek. "Don't you know you're not supposed to spy on a woman when she sleeps? Especially someone of my importance?"

Travis frowned grabbed her hand. "Someone of your importance? Who are you, exactly?" She struggled against him, but his grip was like iron.

"You honestly don't know? You've never seen me before?" She asked, finally managing to yank her hand away. She raised her eyebrow and took a step forward.

He shrugged and grinned amicably. "Gadrea doesn't really feel the need to inform it's townsfolk of what's going on in other kingdoms. We don't exactly concern ourselves with your shenanigans."

She narrowed her eyes. This could be her chance. Buttercup slid her knife back in her belt and stretched out a hand. "In that case, Araceli Carleton of Selodia. Pleasure to meet you."

Travis's grin spread even wider, from ear to ear. He took her hand and shook it lightly. "Pleasure's mine." He took a step back and gave her a look-over. "So, you were saying something about how important you are? Who exactly are you?"

"Let's just say I'm a rather well-known person in my kingdom."

His dark green eyes glinted and she recognized something in them, yet couldn't put her finger on it. It made her a tad bit uncomfortable, but she brushed it off.

"Well, Araceli, what are you doing around here, anyway? I don't think I've ever seen anyone around these parts."

Buttercup's eyes flitted to the tree behind her, slight embarrassment welling up inside her, and laughed. "Actually, I'm kind of lost. Mind showing me the way back? I don't really feel like crawling through the thick mass of trees."

 _God is this embarrassing._

Travis shook his head and chuckled. "I can't show you the way back because I need to meet up with someone soon, but just go down this path," he pointed at the small trail she had come from. "turn left at the crossroads, then left again at the next, right, and go straight. You should arrive in about an hour or so."

"Thanks." She waved at him and hopped on her horse, shook the reins and was off. He waved at her too, before going the other way, towards his own kingdom.

 _He was okay,_ she decided, speeding past the trees. _I mean, despite being a total pervert for creeping on a sleeping girl, he was pretty interesting._

Blossom sat in the bay window of the library, reading _Man of Darkness_ , her all-time favorite book. She looked up through the window at her kingdom. Seeing the townsfolk roaming around, selling their goods and living their life made her smile.

She loved Selodia, and couldn't wait to come of age and become the queen, and she was sure the citizens would too. Not that her father was a bad ruler or anything, King Utonium was a great leader, but he had been king for many years already. Many long years, especially after her mother passed away. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts and focusing on her book once more, not wanting to remember those horrible times.

A few minutes later, something caught her eye. It was Buttercup, riding her horse back through the main gates. She sighed and closed the book, temporarily coming out of the world of magic and adventure, to face her disobedient sibling.

Taking a deep breath, she turned towards the library doors and exhaled, putting on a smile. She had to be a good example for Buttercup.

"Hey, Bossy-Blossy!" The dark haired girl exclaimed, raising a hand in greeting as she barged through the doors of the room she shared with her two siblings. Blossom frowned at the derogatory nickname her sister had given her. "By the way, I forgot that rabbit you wanted!"

"Well aren't you just a cheerful little bundle of joy. I hope you had fun doing whatever it is you usually do in the forests." She sighed, rolling her eyes a bit.

"Believe me, this was nothing like those other times, but yes, I had fun."

"Mm-hm. And what exactly was it that you did?"

Buttercup flopped onto her bed, with her boots still on, earning a stern glare from the redhead. She sighed and kicked them off.

"Eh. Just some stuff." She shrugged noncommittally. "Hey, do you know anything about water-creatures?"

Blossom raised an eyebrow and looked at her sister with an expression consisting of both confusion, curiosity, and a just a tiny tinge of disappointment.

"You mean… like fish?" She replied flatly, moving from the doorway to sit on her own rose-colored bedspread, across from her sister.

"No, no. Of course I know you know what fish are. God, I mean land animals that have the ability to bend like water. Creatures that have liquid-like properties." Buttercup explained to her as if she was trying to teach a toddler a very simple concept.

"Oh," Blossom breathed, as everything made a whole lot more sense. She blinked a couple times and then shook her head. "I'm afraid not. I can go check out some books in the Mythical Creatures and Magic section if you want, though?"

"Yeah. Thanks, sis."

Slowly, Blossom nodded and spoke up again, a bit tentatively, "Or… you can go read about them yourself?"

Her sister groaned and muttered what sounded like curse words under her breath. "Bloss. You know that's not my thing. I hate sitting in some tiny room, reading boring books. " She whined, slamming a fist against her mattress.

Blossom tried to keep calm, but she couldn't help the anger that crept into her voice. "You can't keep this up, Buttercup! You've got to do some actual work at some point in your life. Why not start now? You're sixteen, for heaven's sake. It's time you at least got a hobby like music, or art, or even writing poems! Just, something that shows you're an educated young woman."

Her sister's face hardened. She sat up abruptly, eyes focused on Blossom, ice cold. "What exactly do you mean by that? You know I never had a knack for any of those things! I've found something I'm good at that makes me feel free and alive, and you want to take it away from me?" She gestured wildly, her obsidian hair flying and lime green eyes tapered to mere slits.

"Of course not! I never said you should stop horseback riding or archery! Just that you should also find something you're good at that's more…appropriate for girls like us. I know how much you hate being restrained, and how much you want to spread your wings and just fly, but you can't. We can't. Not until our kingdom and everyone in it is safe and happy." Blossom sighed, leaning backward. "Now come on, you don't want to be late for dinner, do you?"

Buttercup slowly sat up and got off the bed. She raised her eyebrows at Blossom and slipped into a pair of canvas shoes, for she was too lazy to put on the boots she kicked to the corner a few minutes ago.

"Fine, but we better be having mince pies or I'm going back to the forest tomorrow." The door slammed shut after she walked out, causing one of Bubbles' paintings to fall off her shelf.

Sighing, the orange haired girl picked it up and put it where it belonged. Her sister could be such a drama queen. She opened the mahogany door, stepped into the hallway and closed it, taking one last look at the room she grew up in. They used to be so close, she and her sisters. Until their mother died. Buttercup spent most of her time in the woods and Bubbles at the hill overlooking the kingdom, leaving her to take charge and help her father with ruling. But she shouldn't be complaining. Selodia needed her.

Taking a deep breath, she put her smile on once more and walked down the stairs leading to the dining room.

"Father," Blossom nodded to him and sat down in her chair. Buttercup made a face and continued eating a mince pie. Bubbles kept her eyes down and put another spoonful of soup in her mouth.

King Utonium shook his head and sighed through his nose. This wasn't right."What happened to you girls?"

"I-" Bubbles whispered, but the King continued.

"I remember a time when our castle was filled with joy and laughter, but now it's dark and gloomy. I barely see you and Buttercup around anymore, Bubbles, and you're always in the library studying, Blossom." He put his fork down.

A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he reminisced about the memories of his three daughters playing together, visiting other kingdoms, when his darling little Blossom still wore that ridiculously large hair bow of hers. Of course she still did have her signature red hair accessory, but she had toned it down to a regular ribbon that she fashioned into that demure bow every day, or on occasions where such a thing was considered childish and improper, weaved it into her hair.

Bubbles scrunched up her face, and Buttercup's grip on her fork tightened to the point that her knuckles turned white.

"Things change, Father," Blossom replied quietly.

"Hah! Things _change_?" The dark haired girl laughed, shaking her head and slamming her silverware down. "You want to know what changed me?" She spat. " _Reality._ That's what. Mother dying. The war between the kingdoms. My duties. Take your pick. Life isn't a fairy tale, Father. You of all people should know that!" The chair crashed onto the cold marble floor as she stood up. "Even if it was, it ended when Mother lay on her deathbed, gasping for breath, her life slowly draining away..."

Blossom nearly spit out the sliver of chicken she was chewing, "Buttercup that's no way to talk to your father! Apologize _immediately_!" She scolded. Even though she knew it was partially her fault for bringing up responsibilities and all that earlier, this was still unacceptable. Her sister turned around and sneered.

"And _you_. You think you're the perfect girl, great at everything, the best ruler this kingdom will ever have. Well, you're _not_. If you haven't been paying attention for the past two years, the kingdoms are at war. And you aren't helping! Not one bit, alright? Not one bit. Open your eyes for a change!" Buttercup yelled while pointing an accusing finger at Blossom.

"I'm leaving." She grabbed the platter of mince pies. "And I'm taking these."

Her heavy footsteps could be heard as she stormed away, muttering.

There was a tense moment of silence, and the idyllic grin that had broken over the King's features before was now gone. Blossom's throat burned, and she quickly took a gulp of water.

"She's lying, right? Fairy tales are real. There is such thing as happily ever after," Bubbles mumbled, looking up with big blue eyes.

Blossom smiled at her sister, knowing how upset she must be after all that, "Of course they are. Buttercup just has a short temper. I'm sure she didn't mean that." Bubbles nodded and breathed a sigh of relief, glad that the most reasonable one of the three agreed with her.

The truth was Blossom wasn't sure she believed in 'happily ever after' anymore, either. She desperately wanted to, but everything had gone downhill since her mother became ill seven years ago, when she and her sisters were nine. How had their life changed so much? How had it turned from a cheerful, beautiful story of joy and wonder into this harsh reality?

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 _ **The first beta-ed chapter! I'm so glad I asked Timewriter and Antanomally for help! They made everything flow so much better, and spotted many errors in my writing! Thanks, guys!**_


	2. Memories

**_Disclaimer: Thank Craig Mccraken. I don't - nor will I ever - own the Powerpuff Girls._**

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 ** _\- CHAPTER 2 -_**

 **Memories**

* * *

Boomer strolled along the dark streets of Gadrea, munching on a peach. He had his hood covering his face, so nobody would recognize him. But there was no need. It was well past ten o'clock and the townsfolk were too frightened of the things that go crash in the night to come out. He eyes lit up when spotted a unsupervised cart full of pears beside a shop. After swiping three, he tucked them in the many pockets of his cloak.

 _What's the point?_ He thought to himself, _There're plenty of pears back at the castle. Even if I did get caught stealing, they wouldn't punish me. I'm the prince._ He sighed and started putting them back in the cart.

A stray dog barked.

Boomer looked down at the skinny, flea-bitten animal. He felt bad for him, having to live on the streets with no food or shelter. Glancing at the one pear that remained in his hand, he decided to give it to the poor dog. He took out his knife, cut it into pieces, and discarded the seeds, knowing they were hazardous to canines. After setting them on the ground, he came up to him slowly, sniffed the pears, and quickly devoured them.

 _This feels...good._ He decided as the dog licked it's mouth and looked up hopefully at him. _It feels good to help the needy. Like Robin Hood. Steal from the rich and give to the poor._ Except he wasn't sure if the owner of the shop was rich. _Well, he has lots of pears, so I guess that counts. Rich with pears._

Taking the two fruits he had originally put back, Boomer cut them up and fed them to Thomas, the name he decided to give the dog, for he thought it rather resembled the castle's head butler. After finishing his meal, Thomas rested his head on Boomer's knee, and looked at him with big puppy dog eyes.

"You want to come back with me to the castle, boy?"

Thomas barked and wagged his tail.

 _Well, I supposed it wouldn't hurt... It is for a good cause, after all._ Boomer took out and piece of string, tied it around the dog's neck, and started leading him to where he lived.

Instead of actually taking Thomas _into_ the castle, Boomer lead him to where the chickens lived. Or used to. He and his brothers had frightened them all away when they were six. The palace staff didn't bother replacing them, knowing the boys would scare the new ones off again.

"Stay inside the chicken coop, Thomas. I don't want other people finding out about you." He whispered to the dog as he closed the door. "I'll feed you again tomorrow morning!" He brushed a strand of his blonde hair out of his face and quickly ran to the back door of the castle that only he and his brothers used for sneaking out.

As he closed the door to him and his brother's room, the a candle suddenly flickered to life. Wincing, Boomer slowly turned around.

"How considerate of you to come back. Oh, don't worry, it's wasn't like anybody cared. That is except for father and the _entire palace staff_." The light flickered in Brick's amused red eyes. "Ten past eleven. Hm. I guess there's a first time for everything." He glanced at the clock ticking on the wall. "You know, I would expect something like this from Butch, but not you. By the way, what were you doing?"

"Well, it's kind of a long story. I'm sure you wouldn't want to hear about it, besides it's getting late. You must be tired." Boomer smiled nervously, slowly inching towards his bed. Brick spread his arms out and raised an eyebrow at his brother, a smug grin on his face.

"Oh don't mind me, I could stay up _all_ night. And since you obviously don't really _think_ it's late, judging from the time you chose to return home, you obviously aren't tired, either." He nodded at the chair across from him."Now sit down and explain."

With an extremely loud sigh, Boomer reluctantly lowered into the armchair. Even though he just wanted to get in bed and sleep, he knew better than to disobey Brick. "Well, I was just out, walking around town, checking on the townsfolk, when suddenly a lady screamed that someone stole her purse! I being the gentlemanly person I am," He wiggled his eyebrows at his brother." Went to help track down the thief. And I did. Took me an entireday to find him, too. When I finally returned the mistress' bag, it was already so late! I came home as soon as I could."

The truth was, Boomer didn't track down a thief, nor was a lady's purse stolen. He lied. All he actually did was sit in the peach grove, stuffing his face and swim in the lake. But he wasn't going to tell Brick _that._ That was how people got killed. By making Brick angry.

Sighing, the redheaded boy stood up,"Alright, Boomer. I believe you. Just don't do it again." He gave his brother a thump on the head and blew out the candle. "Now go get some sleep."

* * *

The moon's beams shone through the dense woods that surrounded the kingdom of Gadrea. Cold harsh winds sent leaves fluttering up into the night sky. Wolves howled in the distance. A group of people hid among trees. It was time for a meeting.

"Did you go into the forest to meet her?" The cloaked figure asked. A knife flew past his face and stuck in a tree. The boy before him snorted and lifted his hood, revealing his dark green eyes. He tossed another knife in the air and smirked, catching it.

"Of course I did. Doesn't seem like someone worth keeping an eye on," The knife hit the bark. "But, she was acting a bit strangely. When I asked who she was, she seemed surprised that I didn't know." He glanced at the people sitting on rocks and crouching on the branches of trees."Maybe she can give us some information about her kingdom, Selodia." A sly smile formed on his face. They whooped and cheered as he bowed and leaned on a nearby tree.

"Mm. Very good Travis, perhaps it wasn't a mistake letting you into our little 'group'." The figure, who was obviously leading the discussion, glanced at the boy. "Now onto other matters. As you know, according to Sabrine," He nodded at a little girl polishing a dagger, who grinned wickedly. "Aleton will send men to scout out our kingdom tomorrow. I trust you can all prevent them from succeeding?"

"You can count on us, sir," Sabrine let out a maniac laugh that rang throughout the forest and stabbed an apple on the rock in front of her. "We won't disappoint," She smirked at the teenagers around her. "will we, boys?" Everybody hooted and shouted.

"Excellent."

* * *

Bubbles woke up to the warm morning sun shining on her face. She sat up, stretched, and glanced at the clock. Six o'clock. Her sisters probably wouldn't get up until seven. She tiptoed out of her bed and to the bathroom, so they wouldn't wake up. After freshening up, putting her blonde hair in two long pigtails, picking out a light blue dress, and packing her sketchbook in a small satchel, she quietly opened the door and went to the kitchen.

"Good morning Princess Bubbles, what do you want for breakfast?" Patty, one of the staff that worked there asked. She spread some flour on the countertop and started kneading dough. Bubbles smiled and shook her head.

"Just an apple will be fine, Patty. Oh, and do you mind wrapping up some bread for me? I'm planning to go the hill again," She grabbed an apple out of the fruit platter and tucked in in her bag. Bubbles didn't eat much in the morning. Actually, she didn't eat much in general. Most of the time she would just take food so she could distribute it to the needy townsfolk.

The middle aged woman wagged her chubby finger at the girl," Princess Bubbles, don't you have lessons this morning? If I do remember correctly, you and your sisters all have History and Mathematics." She handed the blonde her the bread.

"Oh don't worry, I promise I'll be back before eight," Bubbles winked and gave her a cheeky smile. "Well, goodbye Patty. See you soon!" She waved and walked out the back door. The brown haired woman sighed and shook her head at the cheerful young girl heading out the palace gates.

Bubbles skipped down the cobbled streets of her kingdom, occasionally stopping to greet her subjects. Outside of the palace she was a optimistic, bubbly person, and everyone adored her so. But when was around her family, haunting memories started coming back...

* * *

 _Bubbles bounded up the palace steps, clutching her sketchbook to her chest. She couldn't wait to show her mother the drawing she made, it was by far the best one yet._

 _"Mommy, Mommy! Look what I drew!" She beamed at her mother, who was sitting in an armchair. " It's the sun!" She held it out, extremely proud of herself. The queen put down her book and_ _took the drawing into her hands._

 _"You did a wonderful job, Bubbles. It's very beautiful. You're a great artist," She smiled at her daughter. Bubbles plopped down onto the armrest and rested her head on her mother's shoulder._

 _"Thank you Mommy! Do you want to keep it?" She looked up. "Mommy?" Bubbles cocked her head. Why wasn't her mommy answering her? She gently nudged the queen. "Mommy!" She began to panic. Her mother's head lolled to the side and her green eyes were closed. Bubbles started to scream._

 _"Wake up Mommy! Wake up!"_

* * *

She blinked and shook her head. The forest came into view, but instead of going in, she went down a small dirt path. As she neared the hill, her pace quickened and before she knew it, she was running at top speed towards it. She did how much she needed this. Even though she was here just yesterday, the events of the previous night stressed her out and she needed to calm herself down. Without warning, a dark figure appeared in front of her and she crashed into him.

"Watch it, little girl!" He shouted, rubbing his head as he sat up. He frowned and picked up the object in his lap. It was a sketchbook. "Now get out of my sight and take your little book with you!" He tossed it in her direction.

I-I'm terribly sorry," She stuttered, reaching for it. Something shiny caught her eye. She turned around a her eyes widened at the amount of money and jewelry spilling out of a cloth pouch. "You sure do have a lot of money."

He quickly scooped it all up and turned his back on her," Umm, I suppose..." She cocked her head and picked up a necklace that he missed. It had a sapphires hanging from the silver chains and that formed the shape of flower.

"Why do you have woman's jewelry?" Bubbles looked up at him. He rubbed his head and his shoulders were hunched. "Wait, you didn't steal them, did you?" She eyes widened in horror and she stood up. He winced and slowly turned around.

"Maybe?" He said slowly, his eyes avoiding contact. Her face was contorted into an expression of both disgust and anger. "But it was for a good cause!" He protested.

She rolled her eyes and sighed," Who do you think you are? Robin Hood? Were you going to give this to the poor townsfolk? Do you seriously think I believe you?" He bit his lip and puffed out his cheeks.

"Well, actually..."

"Wait, you were seriously going to give this to the needy?" She cocked her head, surprised. He nodded slowly.

"Um, yes." He adjusted the leather eye mask he was wearing. There was a moment of silence. Then she suddenly burst out laughing. He arched his eyebrow.

"You really are trying to be like Robin Hood? That's ridiculous!" She giggled, clutching her stomach. Bubbles pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head,"I'm sorry, but it really is." Then she turned serious again. "But stealing is still wrong. You should give it back immediately. Besides, what are you? Fifteen? Sixteen? Way too young for something like this."

He groaned and rolled his eyes at her, "Sixteen. And I'm not too young! Besides I'm helping the poor, I'm sure the rich can spare a few coins." She shook head and sighed.

"Alright. I still don't like it, but I guess there's no changing your mind. What's your name?" She shrugged and dusted off her dress. He scratched his head and looked away.

"That's not important. It's not like we will see each other again," The boy started walking down the path, towards the hill. "Besides, I shouldn't be telling 'strangers' my name." Bubbles followed him.

"Strangers are just friends you haven't met." She smiled at him and tucked her sketchbook back in her satchel. "Well, if you won't tell me your name, then what should I call you? Do you have a name for your Robin Hood character? Like a title?" He shook his head.

"Then why don't you make one up right now?" Bubbles looked him up and down. He was wearing a blue tunic, brown pants, and black boots. "Hm, you like the color blue, right? And you probably do your stealing at night?" He nodded. "So how about... The Blue Shadow?"

He thought for a moment. "Why not? I don't have anything better. Thanks." Bubbles blushed. He glanced ahead and gave her a small wave,"Goodbye, then. I'm going this way." He gestured at another small path leading off to Gadrea. "Perhaps we will meet again."

Bubbles nodded and continued walking towards her hill as he went the other way. She sat under the tree that grew there, doodling sketches of the mysterious boy.

* * *

Brick walked out of the bathroom and glanced at Butch, who was still sleeping. It was almost eight already, and the dark haired prince was lying face down in bed, snoring like a pig. Brick grabbed a pillow and hit his brother with it repeatedly.

"Wake up Butch!" He yelled. Seeing that what he did had no effect, he changed tactics. "Look, pretty girls!" The redhead whispered in his ear, gently nudging him. Butch immediately sat up, his eyes wide.

"Wher-" Before he could finish his sentence, Brick hit his face with the pillow. "Why did you do that?" Butch demanded, jumping off the bed. His brother shook his head and started walking out the room.

"Get up, you insufferable miscreant. Father called us in for a meeting at half past eight."

Butch yawned and squinted his eyes.

"What?"


	3. Agreements

**_Disclaimer: Thank Craig Mccraken. I don't - nor will I ever - own the Powerpuff Girls._**

* * *

 _ **\- CHAPTER 3 -**_

 **Agreements**

* * *

"A meeting?" Blossom stopped mid brush and looked at Stephanie through the mirror. "What for?"

The maid cocked her head,"Your father didn't say. Just that it was extremely important." A bell rang and she curtsied hastily then left.

"I wonder why father called me?" Blossom murmured to herself, deep in thought. She quickly pulled her long curly red hair into a braid that started from the left side of her head and rested on her right shoulder. The stool made no sound as she stood up, took one glance at her reflection, and opened the door.

Her footsteps echoed as she walked down the empty hallway, gazing sadly at the family portraits.

The first was painted seven years ago. Their entire family were sitting in the library, next to the fireplace. There was a smile on everyone's faces, lit up by the light from the glowing flames. Her mother's was the biggest. It haunted Blossom, that smile. It was everywhere. In her nightmares. In her sisters. In everyone and everything around her. She pulled her eyes away and glanced at the second portrait.

This one was made when she was ten, one year after the death. Unlike the previous painting, there was absolutely no expression on anyone's face. It was like they were all wearing masks, revealing no emotion. That was a traumatizing time for the girls, filled with pain and loss. They made important decisions that year, decisions that changed them. Buttercup vowed to never love again, to never have any deep feelings for anyone, for she was too afraid they would leave her behind. Bubbles decided to give up chocolates and candy, for there should be nothing sweet after this tragic event. Blossom...well Blossom made a promise to never leave those she cared for, and to work hard to become a good leader. And she did. She never went out to play again. Every moment of the rest of her life would be spent working and learning to help her kingdom.

The last portrait hung on the darker side of the hallway, which only made it more depressing. This one was completed only a few months ago. It was't so much as a portrait as a blank canvas. In the midst of the dark background was a single apple. Nobody showed up for the painting. So the artist had simply painted a apple, sitting on a wooden stool. It constantly reminded Blossom of how her family was broken.

"Princess Blossom?" Stephanie hurried over to the girl and grabbed her arm. "Forgive me for being so rude, but the guests have arrived, you mustn't delay anymore!" The brunette ran down the stairs, dragging the princess behind. She stopped in front of the meeting room and quickly fixed any strands of loose hair from Blossom's hair and gently pushed her in.

She stared at the five pairs of eyes looking back at her, then remembering that she was late for a meeting, curtsied, "My apologies for being late, I hope you can forgive me." She dipped her head at the people sitting at the large table. The king stood up and nodded at his daughter, who sat down in the chair next to him. Her eyes were on her father, but she felt uncomfortable, as if someone was staring at her. She turned her head the tiniest bit, and caught sight of a redheaded boy smirking at her. His face was smug, as if he found her awkwardness amusing, and she found her mouth twitching. It was boys like him that she despised. Laughing at other peoples's failure and mistakes.

"...Blossom?" King Utonium glanced at the irritated girl, his head slightly tilted. "Did you hear me?"

Blinking, she shook her head," Sorry father, I wasn't paying attention. I've had a...rough day." Blossom muttered, glaring at the redhead, who was surpessing a laugh. "Can you repeat yourself one more time?"

The king sighed and said, "As you know, The War of the Four Kingdoms have raged on for...enough time already. The king of Gadrea and I have come up with somewhat of a solution to at least stop the battle between our two kingdoms." He sat down and nodded at the man sitting at the other head of the table, who in turn rose.

"That is correct. Our proposal is to...have an arranged marriage between our eldest children." He said slowly, his hands clasping. "We believe that way there would be no reason to continue the fight between our kingdoms, if they are united." The king of Gadrea finished, glancing at the redhead, who was gawking.

The boy stood up immediately, his hands slamming onto the hard wooden table, "Father! How could you do this to me! I am not getting married to this," He gestured to Blossom, a disgusted expression on his face." _girl._ " His father sighed and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Brick. But you must do it for the good of you kingdom. Besides, Blossom is a very charming young lady, I'm sure you two will learn to get along," He sat down and smiled at the boy, who was still pouting. Brick's face then lit up.

"Why don't you let me marry Berserk? You know, the daughter of King Plutonium! She's a rather...good friend of mine," Brick folded his arms and grinned at his father.

The dark haired boy who Blossom had previously thought to be sleeping drawled out,"Give it up, brother. I know you want to get all mushy with you 'lady friend', but if I were you I would definitely pick Blossom here over Berserk. That girl is crazy." he flapped his hand lazily at his Brick, who shot him a death glare.

"I agree, Butch. Her and her sisters are so...ruthless! It's not a good idea to try to work with them. We might end up with a knife in our backs," The blonde boy mimicked someone repeatedly stabbing something.

King Him nodded slowly, "Yes, Brick. There is no possible way for us to form an alias with Cador. They refused to work with any other kingdom when they declared war. I'm sorry son, but there's no choice."

Blossom, who had been quiet this whole time spoke up,"So if I agree to marry Brick, the war between our two kingdoms will be called off?" She said quietly, her eyes meeting Brick's.

Both kings nodded, "Yes, that is correct. What do you say Blossom? Will you do it?" Her father rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Of course. I will do anything to keep my subjects safe," She replied without hesitation. "It is my top priority, being a princess." Taking a deep breath, she smiled at Brick, who still had his arms folded. "I know I might not seem like much, but please, give me a chance. At least do it for your people."

He scoffed, but didn't object.

"Then it is settled," King Him stood up."The wedding will be in approximately six months, you will that much time to get to know each other." He walked out the door, his sons following close behind. Brick glared at the pink clad girl one last time before leaving the room.

"I hope you know what you are doing, father," Blossom warned the king.

"Me too."

* * *

Brick glared at his father as he rode in the carriage. How could he make him do this? Marrying a completely stranger? It was preposterous, it was insane, it was just plain...ridiculous! He was only seven months past sixteen, and not to mention he already had a love interest. Berserk, a childhood friend that soon become more than just a play companion. Maybe she was a bit reckless and violent at times, but he thought she went rather well with his calm, reserved, yet also hot tempered personality. She was not going to be happy when she heard about this.

"I'm sorry, son. I know you are in a relationship with that daughter of King Plutonium, but he simply refuses to cooperate in anyway. Please understand," His father pleaded, leaning towards the Brick. He took the red clad boy's hand and gripped it tightly.

The redhead yanked hand away and snapped," You're not my father. If you were, you wouldn't make me marry someone I've never met before!" He turned towards the window with folded arms, a sneer on his face,"Especially not that _Blossom_ girl! Did you see her? She is so foolish and clumsy!"

Butch yawned and rubbed his eyes,"I don't know Red, but Pinky is definitely better looking than that explosive female dog. I'd choose her if I were you." He put his feet on Brick's lap and was soon snoring.

"How did this happen to me? Stuck with a brother like him! He's disgusting! I am glad we do not share any genes," Brick muttered, shoving his brother to the floor. The darker haired boy only grunted and scratched his ear before resuming sleep.

"You know Brick, I'm starting to think that Berserk is starting to rub off on you. Even though I know we're not actually real brothers, but that was pretty mean. Maybe this isn't such bad thing after all," Boomer furrowed his eyebrows, a frown beginning to for on his face. Him nodded.

"Yes, you have been behaving differently ever since you started seeing that girl. Well, at least I have a good reason to forbid you from talking to her now." The king readjusted his crown, ignoring his son's look of horror.

"You can not do this to me! It's not fair! You can't stop me from being with Berserk!" Brick spluttered, his face red with rage. This was _not_ happening. How could anyone be so cruel as to prevent him from seeing his girlfriend? "I-I'll sneak away! I'll run away to another kingdom with her!"

Boomer shook his head and sighed," Really Brick? Do you seriously think you'd run away? Leave your throne and position as future ruler of Gadrea for a snotty annoying girl like her? I know you, Brick. Ever since I met you that day on the streets, I knew. I knew that you weren't one to give up power, no matter how much. _Everybody_ knows. Just accept your fate," He jabbed a finger at his brother, a sneer on his face. "You-are-getting-married-to-Princess-Blossom."

Brick was shell-shocked. Did everyone really think of him as only a power-hungry selfish jerk? Did people really think he only cared about the throne, and nothing else? He opened his mouth to shoot back a retort, but he couldn't think of one.

Him stood up, a small smirk of satisfaction on his face as he opened the door, "Now come along, it is time for your lessons. Professor Mcraith is waiting." He stepped out the carriage, his robes trailing behind him.

Butch's eyes shot open just as his blonde brother was about to follow their father, and quickly pushed him aside,"Lessons? Is it nine thirty already? Oh no, _oh no,_ this is _bad_..." He screeched, dashing out of the vehicle, shouting,"Sorry, Father, but I have somewhere extremely important to be!" He hastily took off his crown and tossed it to the king, as if it was worth nothing.

Him barely caught it, a look of pure fury occupying his face,"Come back here young man! I did not give you permission to leave!" The prince simply waved his hand and continued running towards the stables, where his horse was. "Butch!"

Brick rolled his eyes and joined his father, "It's no use. He goes off everyday to some mysterious place, and only returns either late at night or in the early morning, depending on when he leaves. I'm rather surprised you do not know," He cocked his head.

The raven-haired king only sighed in frustration before continuing walking up the steps to the castle, his sons behind him,"Oh well, I suppose there's nothing I can do about it. He _is_ sixteen already. He's old enough to take care of himself. We should let him be."

"Hear that, brother? Sixteen means old enough to take care of myself! I can go where I please!" Boomer laughed triumphantly. "You do not have to worry about me!"

"Butch turned sixteen four months ago, your birthday was the week before last," Brick replied nonchalantly, stepping into the palace. "You, my baby brother, are not allowed to return home at eleven. Besides, Butch is more capable of defending himself."

"Says who?"

"Says me. Now shut it."

* * *

While Brick and Boomer were sitting in front of a table, books as far as the eye could see, Butch was at the "mysterious" place. The forest. He sat atop a tree, his hood up, and fast asleep. There wasn't really anything urgent that he he had to take care of, he just didn't want to go to class. Well there was. But that wasn't until ten.

"You're late." Someone shouted, kicking the tree. Butch groaned and rolled over, thinking he was till in bed. Until he realized he was falling.

"Oh sh-" He yelled, before hitting the ground with a loud crash. Thankfully, there weren't any serious injuries. The boy rolled onto his back,"What do you want?"

"You're late."

"For what?" Butch yawned, his eyes still closed. He was seriously getting tired of this routine. All he wanted was to sleep, but some stupid prick just had to wake him up every five seconds.

"You didn't forget our deal, did you?" The person replied, their voice bored.

The prince sighed and glanced up lazily at a pair green eyes.


	4. Boys

**_Disclaimer: Thank Craig Mccraken. I don't - nor will I ever - own the Powerpuff Girls._**

* * *

 _ **\- CHAPTER 4 -**_

 **Boys**

* * *

"So Blossom, I heard you're getting married to Prince Brick, Son of King Him the first," Buttercup wriggled her eyebrows at her sister. Even though she did not enjoy making conversation with little miss Goody Two Shoes, it _was_ quite fun to tease her. "Also know as The Power Hungry Beast of Gadrea, who everyone except his girlfriend Berserk despises."

Blossom continued writing notes, her quill moving quickly across the paper,"Who told you that? Besides they do not call Prince Brick "The Power Hungry Beast of Gadrea!" Her lips formed a thin, disapproving line."How are you even getting this kind of information?"

Buttercup shrugged and twirled the piece of charcoal she had been using to doodle pictures of Professor Hendrix,"Mitch. And the palace guards. And all my friends outside of the "the castle". It's not fault that you don't know what people think about us royals."

Buttercup prided herself on knowing the most people out of all her sisters. Sure, Bubbles was the cute and nice one, everyone loved her, and all that. But all her friends were... well, too _innocent_. The shoe shop girl. The seamstress's daughter. They were only interested in puppies and clothes. Buttercup's best friend since as long as she could remember, Mitch Mitchelson, was now a hunter that provided meat for the castle and the townsfolk. And all his friends, who were all _her_ friends, were part of his hunting group. They weren't the most _popular_ people in town, but they did know a lot of gossip and information about everyone.

Blossom huffed indignantly, " What? _I know what people think of us_!" Buttercup folded her arms and raised and eyebrow. Blossom sighed,"Fine. I don't. By the way, what _do_ they think of the sons of King Him?"

The raven haired girl smirked, "Everyone knows that Prince Brick and his brothers lived on the streets with some mysterious man name Mojo Jojo before King Him adopted them." Blossom leaned forward, urging her to continue.

"They say that those boys used to be troublemakers. Stealing from shops, bullying younger children, causing mischief everywhere they went. And Brick Him was the ringleader. He was a _bad_ apple. Worse than bad, he was _rotten._ Even though they aren't real brothers - they only grew up together - Prince Boomer and Prince Butch are said to fear him, too. I don't know what happened, but something made him…ruthless. You should be careful, Blossom, you do not want to make Brick angry." Buttercup whispered to her sister, actually worried about her for once.

Blossom stared at her sister for a second, her mouth forming a wide O."I-I had no idea. Maybe marrying him wasn't such a good idea after all..." She muttered, tugging at her braid, unsure of herself.

"Princess Blossom! Please pay attention! Did you hear my question?" Professor Hendix tapped his ruler on the chalkboard, his eyebrows furrowed. Buttercup turned her head and focused on her doodles once again, leaving her sister to deal with their tutor. Blossom blinked, then slowly shook her head, embarrassed.

The old man sighed and placed his ruler back on the table,"I asked you if you remember who founded the four kingdoms, and their relationship with each other. Do you know the answer?"

The girl smiled and smoothed out her pink dress,"Of course. Aleton, Gadrea, Cador, and Harenth were the four men who built our four kingdoms, each one naming it after themselves, except for Harenth, who named after his deceased wife, Selodia. They were brothers, and came from The Kingdom of Kuhnem, searching for a new place to settle. Unfortunately, they did not want to share a throne, so they created each of their own kingdoms, then together destroyed their previous home, for they were originally banished from it and still held a grudge."

The Professor nodded and turned back towards the chalkboard, satisfied with her answer. "Very good, now do you remember how the war between our kingdoms began?" he asked, flipping his book to a new page.

"Well, it started two years ago-"

"Little Miss Know-it-All,"Buttercup muttered, turning back to her regular self. "Always the perfect student...so good at everything.. hmfp."

Ignoring her grumbles, Blossom continued,"When the drought began in the west, where Aleton was, they sought help from Gadrea and Selodia, the nearest kingdoms. Both of us agreed to help. Then the drought spread further, to the north and south, engulfing our kingdoms. Only Cador had enough water. But they refused to help, and wouldn't spare a single drop. The rest of us turned on them, and were about to take to water by force, when they surrendered and shared it with us. But after that Cador held a grudge. Then one day a Aleton hunter mistook a subject of theirs as prey and killed him by accident. Cador immediately declared war on them, stating that they had wanted to take over their kingdom all this time, and sent the first wave of soldiers to the kingdom of Aleton, officially starting the battle. Aleton begged for us to help them, and we did, but in turn made Cador even more furious, so they started attacking Gadrea and Selodia, too. We stopped helping Aleton, in hopes that Cador would stop, but it unfortunately that just made Aleton think we were betraying them. Gadrea and Selodia were the only kingdoms not at war with each other, until um.."

Professor Hendrix raised his eyebrow, disappointed that Blossom had forgotten the rest. He shook his head and tapped his ruler on Buttercup's table, drawing her attention,"Buttercup, do you remember the rest?"

She stopped twirling her black hair and blinked,"Oh, the part about the sons? Ha! You always forget that part, sister!" She sneered at Blossom, earning an eye-roll from the girl. "So, those sons of his thought it'd be fun to join in on the war or something, and faked injuries, the told his father the children in our kingdom were bullying them. King Him was extremely mad and sent us a warning that if we didn't leave them alone, he would attack. Hearing this, those sons of his were filled with glee and challenged Tobias Etherson, who was actually my friend, to shoot a bag of flour from two hundred feet away, which inside actually held Sir Lumpkins, Him's knight. That's why we are caught in a four-way war."

Their professor flipped through a few pages in his book and scratched his head,"I'm sorry Princess Buttercup, but that's not what's in the book. They declared war because Tobias Etherson, who is now an outlaw, killed King Him's faithful knight, Sir Lumpkins because he thought the knight had cheated at a game of cards and stole his money. Wherever did you hear that ridiculous story?"

Buttercup sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes,"That's what they _want_ you to think! I trust Mitch, he's a reliable source." While her sister and their professor were bickering over who was right, Blossom was deep in thought.

 _Brick can't be that bad, can he?_ She gazed out the window, at the faraway kingdom of Gadrea.

* * *

"Finally!" Buttercup let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Turing her head around, she blew a raspberry to the guards by the palace gates. As her subjects, they couldn't do anything back, but as her friends...

"Aw, BC! You're too mean, you little brat! I thought we were buddies!" One of them yelled, rolling his eyes. His brother Floyd, who was standing guard next to him, flipped the princess off. She snorted and waved her bow above her head, facing front again.

"See you boys later at seven! Hope you're still up for a game of cards!" She hollered, grinning at the lush green mountains in front of her. It felt good to be treated like just another subject, and not a royal. Like she was the same as them, like she was part of the group. Especially the 'BC' thing. It made her smile hearing them call her that instead of 'Princess Buttercup'.

Today she had decided to go hunting instead of target practice. It wasn't like they were running out of meat or anything, but hey, you could never have enough meat. Besides, she kind of wanted to see that mysterious guy again and needed an excuse.

"Hey BC! Wait up!"

She tugged on the reins and turned around. Mitch Mitchelson was behind her, mounting his horse. He shook the reins and quickly caught up with her.

"Hello Mitch! So, what are you doing out here? I thought you went hunting yesterday?" She paced Midnight at a slow trot, and raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"Well, yes. But I came here to ask if you wanted to help me with a mission," He ran his fingers through his messy brown hair, straightening it. Buttercup's eyes immediately lit up. It wasn't often that Mitch invited her on one of his missions. "I heard The Night Owls will be occupied with getting rid of those Aleton people tonight, so I was thinking maybe we could go try to scout out Gadrea while they're busy."

Buttercup frowned and looked at her friend, confused,"But I thought we're working with Gadrea now. My sister is getting married to their prince." Mitch shook his head and sighed.

"Sometimes you really are naïve. Do you seriously think they'll work with us? We're talking about the kingdom of The Demon Offspring. Those three boys probably have something up their sleeve, and once we let our guard down, they'll stab us in the back. We cannot trust them," He glared at the faraway kingdom, his the corners of his mouth turned up in a nasty sneer.

"But the guy I..." Buttercup began, then quickly shut her mouth. If Mitch found out she was talking to a Gadrean, then he would never look at her the same way again. It was best she kept this to herself.

"Anyway, will you do it?"

She didn't want to say no, but she didn't want to get in trouble for betraying the king of Gadrea. If he found out, he would take back his offer and their kingdoms would be at war again. On the other hand...

"Sure. I love sneaking around in dark clothes in the middle of the night. Besides, it's not like they're going to find out anyway," Buttercup shrugged. "We're too good." Mitch grinned and turned his horse around, ready to go back to Selodia.

"Great. Meet me at Gadrea's west gates at eleven. We'll sneak in together." He waved and rode off, leaving her in the forest by herself, still a little unsure of herself. But she ignored it and proceeded to go further into the mountains, where she last saw the boy.

Unfortunately, when she arrived no one was there. Absolutely no sign of him. She sighed and started to get back on her horse, disappointed. She had wasted her time.

"Looking for me?" a voice said from behind her. She spun around, but saw nobody. Slowly, she turned back to Midnight, thinking it was just her imagination, and saw a pair of dark green eyes staring back at her.

"Gaaaaaah!" Buttercup stumbled backwards and fell into the shallow water, getting soaked completely. Travis snorted and jumped off the tree, an amused glint in his eye.

She tucked her wet hair behind her ear and stood up, "What is it with you and trees? Honestly, both times you've jumped off one. Can't you be original and I don't know, lurk in the shadows for once?" She squeezed some water out of her shirt and donned the cloak that was on her horse's back.

"Hmm... or I could not be bossed around by some _silly little girl_ from _Selodia_ , and do as I please. Which is hiding in trees and scaring people." He smirked and rolled his eyes at "Selodia".

"Hey! What's wrong with Selodia?! You're not so great either, you Gadrean!" Buttercup balled her fists and clenched her teeth, prepared to punch him in there face. Nobody got away with insulting her kingdom.

"Oh, _nothing_. Except for the fact that _Prince Brick_ is getting married to your utterly revolting precious Princess Pinky, just so we wouldn't have to fight each other. What a joke. I can't believe the king would be so foolish as to agree to such a _stupid_ thing!" He said, his face contorted into a nasty sneer.

"Hey! Blossom is not revolting! Besides, you _want_ there to be war? What kind of sick person are you?" She spat, disgusted by his sudden change of personality.

"Well, if you think I'm so _sickening_ then why did you come here to meet me? Huh?" He challenged her, leaning against the tree with his arms folded and chin raised.

Buttercup wrinkled her nose and mounted Midnight,"I thought you were a decent person, but apparently I was wrong. Maybe you are right though, maybe we _should_ fight. It's not like you have anything to lose anyway, you lowlife." She really _had_ wasted her time coming here. Travis just sneered again and turned away from her, toward Gadrea.

"So long Travis Storme, see you never."


	5. Betrayals

**_Disclaimer: Thank Craig Mccraken. I don't - nor will I ever - own the Powerpuff Girls._**

* * *

 _ **\- CHAPTER 5 -**_

 **Betrayals**

* * *

"Blossom, I have to tell you something," Bubbles knocked gently on the library door. She waited for her sister to answer while rubbing her hands nervously. She didn't want to betray the boy, but she couldn't just let him run rampant through the town without facing any consequences.

"You know you don't have to knock, silly. You're my sister, not to mention _the princess_! You can come in anytime." Her sister opened the door, a bright smile on her face. Even though Bubbles wasn't as close to her as when she was little, she still enjoyed talking to Blossom in times of need. The orange haired girl was rather good with coming up with solutions to difficult problems. "So, what did you want to tell me?"

Bubbles gulped and walked in, closing the door behind her, "There's a problem." Blossom tilted her head to the side a little, a small satisfied smile appearing, as if she had already known, and sat down in a chair. She smoothed out her dress and gestured to the armchair across from her, inviting her little sister to sit. Bubbles hesitated for a moment before lowering herself onto the plush cushion. "I met a boy this morning."

Blossom's smile immediately dissipated, her eye twitching a little, "Oh. Boy trouble? I'm afraid I can't help you with _that_. It's not in my... expertise." Her mouth formed a thin line, and started to stand up.

"Wait, wait, wait! I'm not having boy problems! Well, not really..." Bubbles reached out to grab her sister's arm. Blossom had a dubious look on her as she turned around and sat back down. She raised her chin a little, showing she was willing to listen. Bubbles gulped again." Yes, there is a boy. But not just any boy. He's from Gadrea, and goes by The Blue Shadow. He claims he only robs people so he can give the money to the poor, but I don't believe him. I was hoping you could do something, like put him behind bars or have him exiled. Now that you're marrying Brick you have that power, right?"

Blossom pursed her lips, obviously deep in thought. After a while she looked up and finally spoke,"Not yet. He's still their subject, but maybe I can convince Prince Brick to help." She stood up and walked over to a bookshelf. "Meanwhile, how about you keep an eye on him? If he trusts you to tell you that much, then he probably thinks you're on his side. Try to figure out as much as you can, and if possible, stop his wrongdoing." Taking out a book, her eyes drifted to the door, signaling Bubbles that she could leave now.

"Thank you so much! You are the best sister ever. All I want is for everyone to be safe. Thank you!" Bubbles was grinning from ear to ear as she backed out the the ginormous library. Phase one completed. Now to work on phase two. Befriending the enemy.

She dashed out the castle gates and immediately began her journey to Gadrea. It was a crime scene and there were witnesses to interrogate.

By the time she arrived, it was already starting to get dark, but she didn't care. Everyone always thought of her as the weak Utonium sister. The one that needed people to care for and protect. Buttercup got to go anywhere she wanted, any time she wanted, just because she knew how to fight and handle weapons. Blossom was the smart one, and people would listen to her. Bubbles was the naïve one, the one that played with puppies and made garlands with daisies. Well, She didn't like it. Nobody took her seriously. Nobody trusted her. She was the baby of the kingdom.

But now! Now she had a chance to prove herself! She had the chance to show them that she wasn't just some silly, shallow girl. No way in hell was she going to let this opportunity slip through her fingers. She plowed through the streets, asking if anything had been stolen, and if they knew anything about the thief.

"Thief? Yeah there was a thief. Stole my bracelet, too." Someone sneered from behind her. Bubbles whipped around to face a yellow clad girl about the same age as her with puffy red curls styled in two pigtails much like her own. She had an intricate gold 'P' necklace on her neck and enormous tiara resting on top of her head. " Name's Princess Morbucks. I'm the princess of Aleton as you probably already know, and last night a person dressed in blue stole my bracelet."

 _Yes!_ , Bubbles mentally cheered. She found what she had been looking for. "That's terrible Princess...Princess?" She stopped. That sounded terrible.

"Ugh. Just call me Princess you twit."

Bubbles nodded,"Of course. Well, I was wondering if you could tell me anything about him. Did he leave anything behind? Did he do anything strange? Did you-" Princess looked her up an down with disgust. Her arms were folded and she was squinting her eyes.

"Stop. I didn't see anything. Besides _you_ are suppose to help _me_ , not the the other way around! You better find me my bracelet before the first of November or I'll send my guards after you!" She poked a bewildered Bubbles in the chest. "Now go! Find that insolent fool!" She barged past her, toward a carriage.

 _I never said anything about helping her..._ Bubbles thought to herself, slowly turning around to look at the vehicle leave with the nasty princess of Aleton sitting inside, screaming at the coachman to go faster. _And she's threatening me now? We just met!_

She rolled her eyes and continued down the street, looking for more victims of "The Blue Shadow". _Why was she here anyway? Isn't her kingdom at war with Gadrea? I guess I'll ask her the next time we meet._ Bubbles blinked, pushing away her thoughts and focusing on the task at hand. But there was no one left. Everyone had went inside, and the lights were all out. _How did that happen?_ She wondered, turning back toward the path that lead to Selodia, ready to go home.

Clong! The clock tower struck seven. In her kingdom, the townsfolk would be inside too, but eating dinner. The people here appeared to be asleep already. But it was eerily quiet, which was extremely strange. Unless... They didn't want anyone to know they were there. Unless they were hiding. Bubbles eyes widened at the fog that was reaching out toward her that she had previously ignored. That wasn't natural.

Something was stalking the kingdom of Gadrea.

The howl was what did it. The long ahoo coming from the midst of the fog was what sent Bubbles running. As she sprinted down the dirt road in her flats, she cursed herself for not bringing along Pearl, her horse. The fog moved faster, wrapping around her feet. Bubbles put on more speed. She was the fastest of her sisters, and was determined not to let it get to her. She ran and ran, until she saw the lights of Selodia up ahead. Turning her head, she saw the grayish white tendrils had retreated and were engulfing the entire kingdom of Gadrea.

It was terrifying.

* * *

"Where are you Mitch?" Buttercup growled at the darkness. She had been looking for him for ages already. Ten whole minutes! In her world, that was equivalent to a lifetime. "Argh!" She muttered to herself, finally giving up. Fine. She wasn't going to go look for him. He was going to have to find her if he wanted her to help.

Pulling her bandana over her nose, she leaned casually against a wall. Buttercup wasn't worried about getting found by a Gadrean or Aleton. She was a master of stealth. Besides, even if she did get caught. She'd escape. Why do you think she always got away with sneaking out of the castle? Nobody could keep their hands on her for more than a minute. She stood motionless for another ten minutes, glaring at every shadow that passed with her arms folded.

 _Guess he's not coming._

Buttercup sighed and stretched. She started to walk back towards Selodia when she saw a trickle of blood dripping from the wall. Bored, she looked up and saw a dead man about twenty years old lying flat on his stomach, a huge gash on his face. The color of his badge meant he was an Aleton scout. The Night Owls did this. She scowled at the corpse, disgusted by how easy it must've been to defeat him.

 _Well, if he's dead, I might as well steal his stuff. It's not like he'll need it anymore._

She quickly kicked off the left wall onto the right, then back and forth until she reached the top. Leaning over the dead body, she inspected him for anything worth taking. Nothing. She used her foot to flip him onto his back, where the good stuff probably was. She was right. In the cloth pouch tied to his belt was one of those fancy "pens" that didn't need to be dipped in ink before writing and could only be bought at the most western harbors of their land, and a gold compass. Unfortunately, she didn't need either of them. But she swiped the bag anyway as a gift for her sisters.

Rather disappointed, she kicked the man's stomach and started turning her back on it when she spotted a piece of paper fall out of his pocket. Thinking it could be something useful, she snatched it before it could be swept away by the wind.

It was rather small, and folded so many times that it could fit in the palm of her hand, but when she opened it she realized it intricately drawn map of Gadrea. And not jut any map, but a map of where all the soldiers were and where the defense was weakest. Jackpot! Mitch would be so happy when she gave it to him. Buttercup was about to head back towards Selodia to give it to him when she stopped. Her bright eyes flashed with anger as she remembered how Mitch ditched her.

No.

She wasn't going to give this valuable piece of information to him, just for him to take all the credit. She was going to present it to the Black Cats tomorrow night, at their meeting. This would for sure guarantee her a place in their group. They wouldn't let her in because she was the princess, but now they definitely couldn't refuse.

 _Then we'll see who goes on more missions, Mitch_ , She thought as she jumped from roof to roof, towards her kingdom.

"Over there four roofs away! Aleton scout!" Came a shout from far away. Buttercup whipped around, to see a figure sprinting towards her, occasionally leaping from roof to roof. In his hand was a sharp steel blade, glinting in the moonlight. She sighed, rather annoyed. Why do people always assume they can just take her down or something? Rolling her eyes, she slide two blades down her sleeves so when the figure got near her, she could easily stab him without him knowing.

"Bring it on, big boy."

He landed in front of her, and even though he had a mask on, she could tell he was sneering. Buttercup gave him a quick look-over, rolled her eyes again, then folded her arms with a satisfied smirk. Fit, but not much muscle. Probably somewhere around five feet eight, she could use that to her advantage. Clearly confident that he could win.

Hah. She'll be spitting on his carcass soon enough.

"What's a little girl like yourself doing out here in the middle of the night? Shouldn't you be home with your Mama and Papa?" He said mockingly, while twirling the knife in his hand. She shrugged, smug.

"What can I say? I'm not like most girls." Buttercup took a step forward. "And what about you, _sir_? You should be at home too, taking care of your family. Or do you not have one, you poor stupid creature? " His face suddenly darkened, as if something she said hit a nerve. _Good_ , she thought. _Weaken the enemy with words first, then kill him._ "Tch. Doesn't matter anyway. You'll be dead in a few moments anyway."

"Enough!" He bellowed, charging towards her. "Talk is cheap! Let's get this over with." She snickered and step sided quickly, positive he wouldn't hit her.

"Is that the best you-"

A knife flashed and she felt something wet against her cheek. She reached up to find her bandana ripped and a gash in the side of her face. Snarling, she wiped away the blood, the pain completely unfelt as she was suddenly blinded by shock and rage.

Oh, boy was he going to pay.

Abandoning her previous plan, she whipped the knives out of her sleeves and spun around to disembowel the fool. Unfortunately, the second she turned around, she felt a searing pain in her left shoulder. Damn. Another cut.

"I always win, little girl." He said from behind her as she turned her head around to inspect the wound. "I'm really sorry it has to end this way, but hey, see you in hell?" He shrugged, a smug smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Growling, she made a wild grab for him, her hands tightening around his throat. Even though his face was slowly turning red, that damn smile of his was still spread wide across him face. Buttercup smacked the knife out of his hand and shot a hate filled glare at him.

"Ooh... F-feisty! I... _Ack_... Like yo-ou!" He choked out, his hands clawing feebly at his throat, eyes bright. Disgusted, Buttercup slammed him into cold, wet stone. "Can you...ease...u-up a bit.. Sweetheart?" He coughed, struggling. Now more infuriated that ever, she let go of her grip and instead started punching him in the face. Soon, there was a small stream of blood dripping onto his shirt, but he was still grinning.

"What is your _problem_? We're fighting if you haven't noticed! You're not supposed I be _enjoying_ this, you disgusting...psycho !" She screamed, sending another blow at his ribs. Leaning in closer, to the point that their noses were touching, she stared into his dark green eyes and whispered harshly, "I'm going to enjoy killing you." His grin widened as he lifted his hand up and...

Ripped off her mask.

Buttercup gasped and immediately leapt off him, turning so her back was to him. If he found out that the princess of Selodia was spying on his kingdom, the deal would be off and the war would continue. He stood up, wiping the corners of his mouth and slightly swaying back and forth due to the massive pounding he had received.

"What is it little girl? I thought you said you were going to kill me? Or are too afraid to show your face?" He spat, looking up to see where she went.

Nobody was there. Only a torn bandana.


	6. Relationships

**_Disclaimer: Thank Craig Mccraken. I don't - nor will I ever - own the Powerpuff Girls._**

* * *

 ** _\- CHAPTER 6 -_**

 **Relationships**

* * *

"Princess Blossom from Selodia wishes to see you, sir," A page announced, bending forward slightly out of respect for the young prince. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Brick quickly signed his name at the bottom of his letter and put the quill back in it's ink bottle.

 _Princess_ Blossom. Who was she again? Oh, the girl he was getting married to. The one with the _dainty_ apricot orange braid and ridiculous bow. He was about to decline, when an idea popped up in his mind.

What if he purposely made her despise him? What if it was her that rejected their marriage, and not him? What if… he could escape?

 _It's risky, yes, but if it works…_ He shook his head. No. It _will_ work.

"Send her in."

The page bowed again and scurried out the door to escort the princess. Brick gingerly folded the parchment and tucked it inside an envelope, certain he'll never have to send it. After locking it in his drawer, he sat back down in his chair, arms folded.

How to make a girl hate you? Hmm… the obvious answer was to be an arrogant, boastful, selfish jerk. Easy as pie. All he had to do was act like Butch. His brother was like girl repellent, no female could carry a conversation with him for more than a minute without ripping their hair out.

He was pacing back and forth when he realized he shouldn't be the one waiting, after all, she was the one who wanted to see him. Besides, if he busied himself and ignored her, it might make him seem less likable. Grabbing a book, he plopped himself down in the chair and pretended to be reading.

"Prince Brick?" Came a small voice that was accompanied by a quick knock from outside the door.

Brick smirked and drawled out in a incredibly bored and annoyed voice, "Come on in, Blossom. I don't have all day." The princess opened the door and sauntered in, her eyes sweeping the entire room. "Well? What do you think?" He said smugly, an eyebrow raised. She blinked and lowered her eyes from the magnificent designs on the ceiling to the boy sitting in front of her.

"Your book is upside down." She said blatantly, unimpressed. There was a moment of silence as Brick tried to think of an excuse. He slowly put the novel - _Gulliver's Travels_ \- down on the table.

"Printing error. I wasn't about to just throw away some book because the pages are upside down," Even as he said it, Brick knew it was rather lame. Printing error? How pathetic is that? Blossom nodded once, slowly.

" _Allllright_. I suppose that's reasonable. So what book is that? I simply adore reading," She tilted her head to the side, taking a few steps closer, her eyes bright. "Oh! _Gulliver's Travels_! I _love_ that book! I must've read it at least a hundred times by now!" She plopped down on Brick's bed, her fingers running over the leather. He gaped at her, surprised by this sudden… forwardness. She didn't seem like the talkative type at their meeting.

He shook his head. No. She was just trying to make him like her so that little kingdom of hers would stay safe. He would not fall for her tricks. Scowling, he snatched the book out of her hands, his eyes hard. "Do. Not. Touch. My. Belongings." Brick placed the novel back on his shelf and folded his arms at the dumbfounded girl still sitting on his bed. "And get off my bed. I don't want you wrinkling the bedspread. What did you come here for? Certainly it wasn't just to ruin my day?"

She stood up indignantly, a pout on her face. "Of course not! I came here to ask for your help." He rolled his eyes and glared at her. He should've seen it coming. _Now that we are supposed to get married, she thinks she can just come strolling into his castle, asking for help. Well, she can't._

"And why would I do that, Princess? Why should I involve myself in this little problem of yours, hm?" He snapped, disgusted by her imprudence. He was definitely not getting married to her. She was such a moron. She sighed and put her hand to her temples.

"Because it's your problem, too. There's a thief from Gadrea that has been going around stealing from people, including Princess Morbucks. We must capture him and prevent the antagonizing of Cador and Aleton." She said worriedly, obviously very upset about it. Brick fumbled for words, angry that she had managed to leave him feeling like an idiot two times already.

Blossom raised an suspicious eyebrow, "Did you not know? My younger sister - Bubbles - came here yesterday and said quite a lot of people are complaining about this 'Blue Shadow'. Surely some townsfolk have come to your castle asking you about it?"

He was about to retort that common folk were not allowed in the palace, but then decided against it. She might think she was special or had more power than them. She did't. At least not in his kingdom. "As a matter of fact, no. No one has come here about a robbery. Are you sure 'Blue Shadow' isn't from some other kingdom? Perhaps Aleton?" He said matter of factly, compromising. He didn't lie. At least not really.

Blossom's eye twitched. He noticed how she seemed to do that a lot. Especially when she was angry, like when she was at the meeting. What a strange habit. "Are you calling my sister a liar? She _talked_ to him! She said he confirmed he was a Gadrean!" She exploded, jabbing a finger at him.

Brick smirked. He had found her weak spot. Her sisters. "Well, how do you know she isn't? You said she talked to him. What if they are lovers and she was merely sending you on a wild goose chase? People lie, you know? My brothers lie all the time. Maybe your sister does, too." He replied nonchalantly, cocking his head.

She shouted in frustration, and stamped her foot, "Argh! Why can't you understand! I _trust_ her! It's a thing. But you probably wouldn't get it anyway! You are a heartless fool! And not to mention incredibly oblivious! Don't you see the point? This isn't about her, it's about the good of our kingdoms! Can't you just… cooperate?" She huffed, blowing a strand of look hair out of her face after that rant. Brick blinked. He was not expecting that.

"I'm leaving. Help if you want," She announced, spinning around, her dress flaring a bit. "or don't. It doesn't matter either way. Good bye Prince Brick." He shrugged and gestured to the door. "Ugh! You are insufferable!" Blossom flung open the door and marched out, her head held high.

Brick snorted and turned back around in his chair.

" _Girls_."

* * *

Travis Storme glared at every passing person as he leaned against the cold, wet wall. He shouldn't have made the deal. Yes, it helped his family greatly, but it was no fun just hanging around the shop everyday, doing absolutely nothing. He sighed and stepped a bit into the light, the sneer still etched onto his pale, stony face. He took his favorite knife out of his belt and started tossing it into the air.

He had been working in the Storme Blacksmith shop since he was a young boy of four years old and literally grew up playing with sharp objects. His narrowed eyes followed two girls about his age come out of the shoe shop across the street. A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Pretty girls.

He brought out another two knives - the first one he ever made and the one his father gave him - and started juggling all three of them. The one with long chestnut hair caught the motion from the corner if her eye and she whispered something to her friend. Girl Number Two turned her head toward him and immediately brightened. They sauntered over, giggling.

"You're quite talented," Chestnut Hair Girl said, smiling sweetly at him. He"I used to be a squire. The knight taught me many things, but in the end, fighting was not the life for me." Travis lied smoothly, catching all three knives in one hand and slipping them into his belt. The other girl nodded and whispered something into her friend's ear, clearly impressed. Girl Number One cocked her head.

"Say, you look quite familiar. Have we met before?"

He pretended to think for a while, his anxiety and fear hidden by his cheerful mask and replied, "No. I don't think so. What's your name? Perhaps it'll remind me." Her lip curled and she seemed unsure whether she should tell him or not. But Travis wasn't offended in any way. Gadrea was a rather… strange kingdom, and legends say that many people have been reported missing after supposedly telling a mysterious man their surname.

"Alice." She replied after apparently a lot of thinking, "This is Tracy. She's my sister." The girl beside her waved shyly.

 _Alice…Tracy…._

The two names echoed in his mind, reminding him of something, something important, but was just out of reach.

 _Alice…Tracy…._

Araceli.

His eyes widened. Araceli Carleton. He had forgotten all about her. His jaw hung open in shock, and in fear. He had told him to go check on her. He had told _him_ to check on _her_? What was he _thinking_? He couldn't let _him_ check on her! She was from Selodia for crying out loud!

He would kill her.

Travis was so dead. If Hood found out the girl was dead, the girl that was supposedly an important figure in the kingdom of Selodia, he would get kicked out of the Night Owls. He couldn't let that happen.

Not bothering to put on a mask or lift his hood, Travis dashed off toward the woods without a second glance back. He gritted his teeth as the wind whipped through his hair, ignoring the pounding in his head and the heaviness of his feet. He _could not_ lose his place in the group. He had worked far too hard for it.

When he arrived at the spring, he could tell that something was definitely off. First of all, her horse was there, but she wasn't. And second, the grass was dotted with spots of blood. He killed her. That idiotic, arrogant, fool! What did he do?

"Come back to remind me how _Gadrea_ is so much more superior than Selodia, eh? Someone spat from behind him, their voice full of spite. He whipped around and saw her perched atop a boulder, glaring down at him.

"You're not dead?" He mumbled in disbelief, eyes wide. "But I was sure he would've killed you…"

Araceli hopped down, "Who would've killed me? Did you send someone after me, you insufferable beast? I'll have you know _no one_ can defeat me!" She jabbed a finger at him, her face twisted into a mocking sneer.

He blinked, his expression momentarily blank, taking in the fact that he had not done a single thing to her. Except insult her kingdom apparently. Travis shook his head and leaned in close to get a better look at the gash on her face.

"What happened to you? Did you get in a fight? You know girls like you should do that, it could be dangerous." He said, awed by how despite the length and depth of the cut, she did not seem fazed. Besides, he had to repair any damage the other boy had caused.

Araceli huffed and turned away, "Don't tell me what to do. And what do you care anyway? I thought you liked the idea of poor, innocent people getting hurt. At least that's what you said two days ago." She rubbed her shoulder, wincing a bit at the memory.

Travis rolled his eyes. He should've never made the deal with him. He was a sick person that apparently's only joy in life was causing and feeling pain. He was a creature from the deepest pits of hell. Next time Travis saw him, he would break off their agreement.

"Listen, I'm sorry about whatever moronic, offending thing I said to you earlier, I'm going through some tough times and… I couldn't help but lash out at you. I'm really sorry. Forgive me?" He sighed, putting on a fake pout and reaching a hand out to her. "Please?"

She frowned, obviously not wanting to let him off so easily, but in the end relented. Only after socking him in the face first, though. "Fine. _But_ ," Travis groaned dramatically and rolled his eyes again playfully. "only if you buy me a drink. Know any good places in Gadrea? I think it's okay for me to go there now that Princess Blossom is getting married to your prince."

"Alright." He started turing around back towards his kingdom, then decided against it and walked back to Araceli's horse. "On second thought, I don't want to walk. Mind if I ride your horse with you?"

"If you can hang on."

* * *

 _ **Feels like forever since I last updated. But maybe it's just me. Whatever. Next chapter should be uploaded in two more weeks. Sorry I can't make finish before New Year. Or can I? You'll just have to wait and see... ;)**_


	7. Siblings

**_Disclaimer: Thank Craig Mccraken. I don't - nor will I ever - own the Powerpuff Girls._**

* * *

 ** _\- CHAPTER 7 -_**

 **Siblings**

* * *

"Bubbles! You will not _believe_ what happened just now!" Her sister shrieked as she stomped her way into the blue-eyed girl's private little art studio. "That preposterous, arrogant, deluded imbecile! You know what he did? You know what he _said_ about you?" Blossom plopped down on the windowsill, her face red with rage.

Setting down her paintbrush, Bubbles sighed and wiped her hands on a wet cloth, "Who's this 'he' you keep complaining about, again? I'm not sure I caught it."

"Brick!" Blossom screeched, her hair flipping dramatically over her shoulder. "He called you a _liar_! He accused you - my little sister - of being a liar! He is such an pompous little brat!"

"Calm down. You know how you start spitting out unnecessarily long vocabulary when you're upset. Besides, what did he say I lied about? I'm actually quite curious." Bubbles lifted her stool closer to where her sister was sitting, and rested her chin on her hands.

Blossom huffed and folded her arms, unable to bring her eyes up to her younger sibling, "You know how you told me the 'Blue Shadow' was a Gadrean? Well, Brick doesn't believe me. He thinks that just because _his_ brothers lie, my sisters must, too. It's completely absurd! I've known you for fifteen - almost sixteen, your birthday is next month - years Bubbles, and you haven't lied once!"

Bubbles bit her lip. The truth was, he had not told her where he came from. She had only assumed since he was heading in that direction. Technically she didn't tell a lie. Not really, at least.

It was such a big lie.

She couldn't admit to Blossom that she told a fib. It would ruin her reputation as the good, kind-hearted sister! But if she really was a nice person, she would tell the truth. On the other hand, a good person would even consider lying a possibility, and she did. Maybe it would be alright for her to bend the truth just this once.

"That's ridiculous. I would never lie about something so serious! Trust me when I say this. The 'Blue Shadow' is definitely a Gadrean. Brick's just being unreasonable. Go talk to him again next week, hopefully his attitude will improve by then." She assured her, reaching her arm out to pat her sister's shoulder.

"Bubbles. Don't. You still have paint all over your hands." Blossom pushed her hands away and stood up, the red in her face quickly fading into a faint blush. "Well, I feel a bit better now that I'm certain that he was just being delusional. I'll have to go anyway, Father and King Him agreed we'd have to spend at least an hour 'interacting' with each other per week. Goodbye now, sister. I want to cram in some 'me time' before it gets taken away by marriage."

She swiftly opened the door and strolled out, a small smile dancing on her lips. Taking in a deep breath, Bubbles turned back toward her canvas and picked up a brush. Everything was going to be alright. Her family was happy, her kingdom was happy, and she was happy.

But as the paint touched the half finished artwork, she felt a sense of dread. Everything was _not_ okay. There was a thief loose. There was a monster in their neighboring kingdom. She had just told her first lie. Suddenly the partially done sunset in front of her didn't seem so much like a sunset. More like an explosion. An explosion that once ready, would destroy her entire life.

Bubbles dropped the brush in a little pint of murky water. She didn't want to paint anymore. Her expression was blank as she stood up and left the room, not bothering to clean her tools. The door made a loud bang when she slammed it, but she couldn't care less.

More and more often these past days Bubbles' mind was occupied with thoughts like this. It wasn't like her at all. She wasn't sure why they kept popping up in her head, but they just did. At first it was just a minor problem, but as time passed it became a constant irritation. She lost her love of art, her ability to daydream, and her bubbly personality. It all started when she felt the fog touch her, two nights ago. It had been a strange sensation, and many images had flashed through her mind, but she couldn't make sense of them.

There was a lone man, clad in a long brown robe, his skin a sickly green and his grey-black hair that was obviously overgrown. There were three children, boys, that threw stones at passing people. There were three little girls, their cheerful, carefree faces seen through a dark red vision.

What did it all mean? At first she assumed they were but hallucinations caused by the smog, but now, she was starting to think they were more like… memories. Memories long ago, memories forgotten, memories lost. Who did they belong to?

Bubbles wanted to go back to Gadrea to investigate, and perhaps find out what the fog was, and why people feared it. She felt drawn to it, as if when it had curled around her foot, it had tied a piece of string onto to her, and was now pulling her back. Maybe she shouldn't go back though, after all, if it _was_ the fog drawing her back, shouldn't it be obvious _not_ to go? It would be like suicide. On the other hand, she didn't want these memories anymore. They were bothersome and caused quite a headache.

She glanced at the grandfather clock in the hall. Twelve forty two. It was time for lunch. Bubbles quickly pushed those thoughts away, deciding to first complete her job, then try to solve this mystery. Besides, she was hungry. After changing quickly out of her paint splattered dress and washing her hands thoroughly, she descended the marble stairs. As she neared the dining room, her expression became closed off; unreadable.

* * *

"So, this is the place, huh?" Buttercup snickered loudly as she flung open the door to the bar. "Best drinking place in all of Gadrea. To be honest, I'm not really surprised."

The boy next to her froze as three dozen of the toughest fighters in his kingdom's heads whipped around to glare at her. She pretended not notice as she walked up to the bartender, and took out five gold coins.

"Get me glass of the strongest stuff you got. Hopefully it's as good as what I usually have." She announced boldly, tossing them in his direction. Buttercup leaned casually against the counter, smirking at the rest of the regular customers.

Travis nudged her arm, "What are you doing Araceli? Are you _trying_ to get killed? Because it's working!" He gestured at the room filled with people glaring at them with hate filled eyes.

"Hey Travis! Whose your new girlfriend? Shouldn't you be taking her to the little girls tea shop across town? " A gruff, bald man with arms like hams snorted as his buddies jeered.

'Your drink."

Buttercup caught the glass without turning her head and downed it in one large gulp, then let out an enormous belch, "First off, I'm not his girlfriend. And second," She took out a knife and threw it at the man's head, grazing it slightly before sticking in the wall behind him. "I don't drink tea."The bar was silent as he reached up and saw his own blood wet on his fingertips.

"Ha! Big Jerry's going to get you now, girlie!" A tall, dark figure wearing a mask laughed, his voice raspy. "Big Jerry" rose to a full six feet and lumbered over to Buttercup, his tall figure looming over her. He leaned in close, his scraggly beard mere inches from her face. She was unfazed.

"You don't get away with cutting me like that without receiving a few bruises yourself. Next time, little girl, _stick with the tea shop._ " He breathed, his breath thick with alcoholic fumes. He raised a fist high above his head when Travis grabbed it.

"Jerry, she's _the one_. Don't hurt her." He said, raising his chin in the direction of the girl with folded arms and an unimpressed look on her face. "You don't want to get in trouble with Hood, do you?" He added, in a low voice so she would hear. But she did anyway.

Signing, Buttercup rolled her eyes and punched Big Jerry in the gut, "Come on Travis. Let me have some fun. I promise I wont hurt him." Groaning in pain, he bent forward slightly, but quickly recovered.

"Oh boy am I going to enjoy beating you! Nobody gets away with something like that! Nobody!" he roared, his fist aimed straight for her head. Smirking, she ducked and grabbed his arm, bending it backwards. Letting out a loud growl, he turned around, veins bulging out of his neck. Buttercup let go of his arm, obviously unsatisfied with how the fight was going.

"Is that the best you got? Really? I thought a big man like yourself would be a more skilled and impressive match than the boys back when I live. I guess I was wrong." She shrugged, turning around. Now furious, Jerry took out a knife from his belt and charged towards her, screaming insults that should never be recorded. Sighing, she easily step sided and stretched out a hand, then slammed it into his face, effectively making him let go of the blade.

"You know, the problem with you is that even though you might be the strongest man in the bar, you slow and heavy. Makes it kind of hard to move quickly, eh? Try losing a few pounds before picking a fight with me again, you giant bull." She sneered, bending down to snatch the knife from the wooden floor. Jerry whipped around to face her, eye twitching. "But hey, good try." She tossed it back to him, one hand cocked on her hip.

Grumbling, he took his seat at one of his tables, where his friends were laughing like hyenas. Buttercup settled back down at her spot by the counter, where Travis was gawking at her, mouth wide open.

"Wow Araceli. You are crazy. I can _not_ believe you disarmed Big Jerry so easily." He said in awe, eyes still on the knife that was now tucked snugly back in Jerry's belt. "You're pretty good at this. Say-"

"You. Travis's friend. I'm Harrison, but you can call me Harry. You fight regularly? Who do you practice with? Your brother? Is he the one teaching you all of this? I know some people that would love to meet him." A young man interrupted, cutting into their conversation.

Unsure of how to reply, Buttercup said slowly, "Um, sir, I don't have a brother. And I taught _myself_ how to fight." She squinted her eyes and stared at him, hard.

"Well, in that case, you must be-"

"Harry. She's from Selodia." Travis said firmly, stepping between the two's staring contest. "Don't be stupid."

The man's eyes widened and he blinked, "Oh. Well then I… best be going now." He scurried away, head low in embarrassment. Her gaze still on Harry, Buttercup turned back towards Travis, arms folded.

"Care to tell me what that was about?"

He shrugged and rubbed his head sheepishly, "There are a lot of different groups here. Hunting groups, that is. People are always trying to find new recruits."

"So why'd he seem so interested in my _fighting_ skills instead of my hunting skills?"

He was obviously struggling to come up with an answer, and in the end said, "Well, I'm not sure, but sometimes the parties get into battles with each other over a kill. Maybe they wanted someone good on their side?"

 _Hah. Trying to sneak compliments into an excuse. The oldest trick in the book._ She thought smugly, _What an amateur._

But Buttercup decided to go with it anyway. She had finally met someone that didn't know her status as future queen of Selodia, and was determined to keep their trust. She was willing to do anything for her freedom.

"Okay. So, what do you guys do around here for fun? Please don't tell me it's like the stuff they do back in my kingdom. Playing darts and going _shopping_ for knives and new saddles isn't exactly what I call exciting." She inquired, snorting at the memory of when Mitch and the gang forced her to go saddle-shopping so their butts wouldn't hurt when they rode or something. It had been quite ridiculous.

Travis smirked, "Glad you asked. We do things a little differently here in Gadrea." He jumped onto the table. "Who's up for a little game of Capture the Flag!" He hollered, raising his bow high above his head as everyone cheered.

* * *

 ** _BAM! I am on a roll! Two chapters uploaded in a single week? CRAZY! Anyway, consider this a special Christmas gift to all my viewers, your support and reviews mean a lot to me. Thanks a lot!_**


	8. Dreams

**_Disclaimer: Thank Craig Mccraken. I don't - nor will I ever - own the Powerpuff Girls._**

* * *

 ** _\- CHAPTER 8 -_**

 **Dreams**

* * *

He had always wanted a dog. Well, a puppy to be exact, but a dog none the less. He and his brothers were far too different to get along well, and he was often lonely, save for the times when they would terrorize the people of his kingdom.

So you can imagine the great deal of happiness Thomas brought Boomer as he barked, his tail sweeping across the floor, sending pieces of hay fluttering into musty air. Smiling widely, he quickened his pace, anticipating the moment he got to feed his little pet. In his right hand he held a piece of wrapped chicken - boiled, of course - and in his left was a small saucer with water straight from the well.

"Here, you go boy!" Boomer said brightly, setting down the food. "Did you sleep well last night?" Thomas licked his face all over, answering the query. He laughed, gently patting the dog away. "Alright, alright. I know you love me. Have some chicken."

He leaned back, arms folded around his knees, observing Thomas gobble up his long awaited meal. After barely three minutes, he was already lapping up the last bits of water, tail wagging excitedly.

"Come on, we have some business to attend to. We got to give all this loot to the folks in the Hole!" Boomer said, adjusting the satchel that hung loosely from his shoulder as he rose. He turned around, grinning from ear to ear.

"Boomer."

He gulped. "Oh, um, hello Brick… Why - what are you doing out so early?" His mouth turned downwards and the smile became a frown. Behind him, he sensed Thomas retreat back into the coop, whimpering slightly.

Of course. Brick's unnaturally red eyes always seemed to scare off people, not to mention the stern tone he spoke with.

"You know dogs aren't allowed in the castle, right?"

Straight to the point. Classic Brick.

"Well, yes, but… um.. you see, there - he was…" Boomer struggled to come up a believable excuse. "I've always wanted a puppy." He finished lamely, certain that his brother would "dispose" of Thomas after this conversation.

Brick was not a dog person. Especially not after that fateful day on the streets, eight years ago.

"I can see that. Now, I'll keep him a secret but…" His dark eyes glinted in the sunlight. "You need to do something in return."

Boomer glanced back at Thomas's crouched silhouette. "You name it."

"Stop stealing."

He blinked his cobalt blue eyes in surprise. After recovering from the initial shock, he sucked in a breath and raised an eyebrow. "I'm not stealing. For God's sake, I'm a _prince_. I don't need to steal anything!"

Brick sneered, "Oh, come on already Boomer. That silly girl from Selodia told me all about it yesterday. Jewelry was stolen from citizens of Aleton and Gadrea not two days ago! You came home late that very same day! At twelve o'clock, too! Besides, I took a look in your satchel…"

Boomer gulped and pushed his bag behind his back nervously with his hand.

"Give it."

He forced out a smile and shook his head, "Ha! You don't seriously think I was planning to do something with those jewels, were you? I was just going to -"

"You do realize you just admitted to stealing right? Now hand them over and you can keep your dog." Brick rolled his eyes, fed up with Boomer's feeble attempt to deny the fact that he was a thief.

Sighing disappointingly, he lifted the strap over his head and handed the satchel to his brother. "Can I go now? I promise I won't steal again."

Squinting his eyes at Boomer, Brick nodded slowly.

"Ugh, wow Red. I was just messing around…" Boomer huffed as he shoved past Brick, a small smirk tugging on his lips since he knew his brother hated being called "Red". "Come on Thomas, let's go." He drawled as he walked away from a brooding Brick.

The dog darted out the chicken coop, a blur of brown, and sped past him, into the woods where Boomer led him through the night he brought him back to the castle.

"Bye Brick!" Boomer waved lazily as he strolled after Thomas, hands in his pockets. Glaring at him, the redhead growled, spun around, and stomped back through the back door.

* * *

Butch folded his arms and wrinkled his nose as people sped past below, shouting out orders. Capture the flag wasn't _that_ great. Sure, he had never participated in the game before, but he could tell it was. What was it really? A bunch of people running around, carrying weapons, fighting each other, trying to steal some stupid flag.

"Travis! Behind you!" A dark haired girl shouted, and the sound of metal against metal rang throughout the forest as she parried an attack.

 _Ugh._ Travis Storme. Butch seethed at the thought of him. He promised him he could pretend to be him and go on the Night Owls missions, but they were _boring_. And the one time Travis told him to go to a meeting for him, it was to see _her._ Araceli Carleton, the girl from Selodia! At first she was nothing more than a bratty little wannabe, but after seeing her performance at the bar, he was reconsidering. Of course, she would never be as good as _him_ , but she was… decent for a girl. He looked down.

They were standing back to back, a crowd of the opposite team - blue - surrounding them. His eyes scanned over the burly men armed with enormous swords. Ha! She wouldn't stand a chance. He caught the small movement of her hand as she gestured to Travis. His eyes widened, but he nodded anyway.

Araceli's shoulders tensed, which triggered a explosion of noise as five men charged at them, weapons at hand. The one closest to her went straight for her head and had his sword raised high above his head.

Butch snorted. Pathetic. He could not believe these were the strongest men in his kingdom. They were twice his size, but had less than half the skill he possessed.

She smirked as she brought her own blade up - a thin yet strong finely polished sword, with a leather bound hilt - and deflected the hit, twisting her sword, almost disarming her opponent, but he swept his foot under her, and she nearly tripped. _Good, but sloppy,_ Butch thought, analyzing her every move. She had potential, but from the way she deflected her opponents hits, he could tell she was thinking far too highly of herself, and doubted the men's abilities.

Meanwhile, Travis was doing better and had disarmed one of the opposing team already, and was now working on the second. His movements were faster more accurate, and anyone could tell he had more skill. Storme was far more superior to Araceli, but in the end it wasn't really her fault. He had grown up in a blacksmith, with an expert swords craftsman for a father, and two brothers that were part of the royal guard. To be honest, Butch was rather jealous of him.

 _He_ had grown up on the streets, and only had a real home when he was ten years old. Only then did he start receiving actual training from the knights of Gadrea, but when he finally decided that he was going to be a member of the Night Owls, he found out royalty wasn't allowed to join. He had to watch Travis, the boy he envied as a child, receive praise from Hood as he crouched on a tree from afar.

Gritting his teeth, Butch focused once more on the action below. Araceli had - finally - defeated her enemy, but there were still three men left. Realizing she wouldn't be able to knock them all out before the blue team snatched their flag, she nodded once to Travis and he tossed his sword to her, leaping across the small brook that separated the two team's territories.

The men paused momentarily to ponder whether or not to go after him when Araceli swung the two swords in a large arc, cutting all three of their tunics.

"Aren't you going to fight me? Or are you too scared?" She taunted loudly, blades raised, ready to parry any thrusts. They glanced at each other and attacked her all at once, apparently deciding the other people from the blue team would stop Travis.

She laughed and began to duck and weave through them, fighting off almost all their blows and only receiving few injuries. Butch's eyes narrowed at the sight of her, a _girl_ , allowed to participate in such activities, yet him not. His head snapped to when he heard the distant hooting from Travis as he tossed thrust the blue team's flag high into the air, for all to see. Sliding her sword back in her scabbard, she yelled in triumph as she ran over to Travis and cheer with him.

Butch clenched his fist and scowled. Stupid Araceli. Stupid Travis. Stupid game. he resented them all. He decided he had enough of it and wanted to leave when all the people on the red team crowded over to lift Storme into the air, chanting his name. And it especially bothered him seeing her right next to him, bathing in the glory.

He jumped down from the brach he was perched on, and dashed off into the forest, far away from where _they_ were, muttering profanities under his breath.

* * *

Blossom was bored. Even though it was the middle of autumn, and she should be making a list of things to stock up on for the winter, she couldn't be bothered to. Besides, she had wanted some relax time.

Except _relax time_ was so incredibly unproductive and boring. Sighing inwardly, she rolled a pen up and down her desk, gazing out at the enormous, white fluffy clouds rolling over the sky. Deciding that she should at least be _doing_ something, Blossom opened her drawer and pulled out a diary.

It was dark red leather, and had a metal clasp that stretched across the entire cover, meeting at the end with a heart shaped lock. She gingerly took out her necklace and placed it in the hole, turned it slowly, smiling when she heard the click. Blossom flipped to the most recent page and dipped her quill in a ink pot.

 _Dear Diary,_

* * *

 **Okay, I know that I'm late. Well, for those of you who live in the East. I was just finishing this up when my friends arrived and had to leave for the New Years party they had organized. Sorry about that. But if you are in the western part of the world, I am fairly certain I made it on time. Sorry for the rather short chapter, but Happy New Years anyway!**


	9. Confrontations

**_Disclaimer: Thank Craig Mccraken. I don't - nor will I ever - own the Powerpuff Girls._**

* * *

 ** _~ CHAPTER 9 ~_**

 **Confrontations**

* * *

"I can not believe you actually came," Brick said in monotone, swinging the door open to an unamused and ill tempered Blossom. She had her hand cocked on her hip and had a frown so sour etched on her face it could literally kill.

"Look, I'm against this as much as you are, but unlike you. I can be mature about it. So either shut your yap or admit to the entire world that you would rather have war instead of peace," She jabbed her finger at his chest and snarled. "Besides, no matter how rude you are to me, how much you torture me internally, I will not back down. So don't go thinking you can somehow beat me at this."

He smirked and stepped aside to let her through, "Touché, Miss Blossom. But don't forget, you're in _my_ kingdom. Watch what you say to me, or your precious little _Selodia_ might end up not having a heir to the throne." She shot a hateful glare at him and pushed past, stomping up the spiral staircase.

Blossom's heels clicked loudly against the stone steps, echoing through the silent halls. She ran her hands across the smooth, cold marble banister, sending a small chill up her spine. The tapestries on the walls showed carefully stitched portraits of all the kings and queen before them, each seeming to frown at the presence of the unwanted visitor.

She took in each of them, lingering for a moment before skipping to the next one. It was quite obvious that the three current princes were not originally part of the Him family lineage. None of the men or women displayed on the walls had Brick's fiery red hair, Butch's piercing green eyes, or Boomer's arched brows that practically screamed trouble.

"Hurry up Princess Pinky. Are you always this slow?" The boy called from behind, in an impossibly annoying tone that made her want to yank out her hair.

She whipped around and snapped angrily back at him, "Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that the mere thought of spending time with you makes me want to hang myself, and I would like to savor the last few moments of life before my inevitable death." He glared right back at her and even dared to do the most childish, ridiculously stupid thing in the universe: stick his tongue out at her.

She stormed her way up to the second floor, feeling his eyes burning into her back. What an insufferable beast. When she reached the top, she glared at both ends of the hallway and huffed angrily. All the doors looked exactly the same. No mark of any sort to indicate where the library was.

Tapping her foot impatiently, she blew a strand of loose light orange blonde hair out of her face. Upon hearing the restless movement of her left foot, Brick seemed to move even slower, and by the time he arrived, she was ready to blow a fuse.

"How in the world do you spend-" she glanced at the lone wooden clock standing in the nearly empty hallway. "Three minutes climbing up a set of stairs compromising of approximately one hundred twenty steps? What are you, physically disabled?"

Brick shrugged, "Since spending even a second in the same room is so impossibly unbearable, and will be the ultimate death of me," he shot her a smug grin. "I decided to savor my last moments alive on Earth."

Blossom felt her eye begin to twitch again, but instead of kicking the boy back down the stairs, she took a deep breath. "Just… Can you.. Where is the library?" She finished, clenching and unclenching her fists.

He stood up straighter and gestured at the door he was currently standing in front of, "In there. B-"

Before he could finish, she brushed past him and yanked at the handles, but the door didn't budge. She turned around slowly, glaring at him with cold, hard eyes.

"Why. Won't. It. Open?" She said through gritted teeth.

"You need a key to get it open," He replied simply, earning an exasperated eye roll from her. She cocked her hips and stuck her hand out, palm facing up.

"My, my, don't you have great reasoning." Blossom spat sarcastically. "I was asking for the key, you numbskull."

He rested his arm on the banister. "Well, you're out of luck. Only my father and Professor has the key. They don't like me and my idiot brothers 'messing around' in there. It's only open during lessons."

She pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "Well, do you have any other reading material around here? I can't stand talking to you." His eyebrows lifted and he removed his arm.

"Actually, yeah. Follow me." Brick abandoned his idle position by the stairs and moved towards his room. Without glancing back to see if she was following him, he waved his hand and went on, "There's a small shelf in my room, if you hadn't noticed, and you're welcome to read whatever's sitting in it, gathering dust for the past three or four years. Just don't touch anything else."

He swung open to door to his room and sauntered in, a small, devious grin playing on his lips. Wary of the potential trap it could be, Blossom placed one foot in front of the other slowly, eyes squinted in suspicion and arms folded.

Yet the moment her eyes laid upon the gorgeous, faded leather and paper covers of those few books, all her self restraint disappeared down the drain. She rushed forward and choose a novel at random, eyes hungrily devouring the comforting first words that would make her forget the annoying boy's presence before lowering herself on the bed.

"Ah ah ah." Brick, who had been watching her from his desk on the far side of the room with a smug yet disgusted expression on his face, said disapprovingly, turning his chair to face her. "I said you could read my books as long as you didn't touch anything," He bobbed his head at his bed. "that, counts as something. Get off."

Blossom sneered at him and started walking towards an armchair when Brick tutted. "Nope. That's _my_ armchair. You can't sit on it." She raised her eyebrow and placed her hand on her hip, sighing loudly through her nose.

"Then where _can_ I sit?"

Brick flashed her a sickeningly sweet smile. "Oh, I don't know?" His eyes suddenly lit up and he nodded at the carpeted floor. "How about the floor?"

The smile on his face did not falter, even when Blossom's face turned completely red with rage at his ridiculous and demeaning suggestion. How could he even propose such a insulting idea? She could not believe that there could be someone that would stoop so low merely for their own enjoyment. This boy was the most wretched person alive on the face of Earth.

"Well, I'd never! You can shove your stupid idea up your a-" She barked, her eyes ablaze with a fierce anger.

Brick held up a finger and wagged it, "Watch your language, princess. Royalty shouldn't use such crude words."

This boy just refused to shut up. He couldn't leave her alone for even a second and had seemingly decided to make her life a hell. Fed up with his constant ridiculing and mocking, Blossom spun around and stalked out of his room, head held high. If he wouldn't let her read properly in his room she would leave.

"Hey! Give me my book back!" Brick demanded, standing up indignantly. She whipped her head around to sneer at him before turning the hall.

"Why don't you come get it!"

* * *

"Still pretending to be Robin Hood?" Bubbles asked, leaning over his shoulder to inspect the gold and jewels he brought back this time, trying to stifle a giggle.

"Yeah, so? At least I'm trying to help people. What have you been doing to improve society?" He shot back, dropping a few multicolored gems into a small cloth bag and pulling the strings to close it.

She placed the daisy garland she had been working on his head and settled back on the grass. "Um, helping society? You do realize you're a wanted criminal. Princess Blossom had people put up posters about a mysterious thief, you know?"

"Is that so? I haven't been to Selodia in quite some time. Today is Tuesday, so it's been what? Seven, eight days? The people in your kingdom don't seem to have any trouble getting by." He scooped up the little bags and dumped them in his satchel, then laid down beside her to watch the clouds pass above. "You're king must be very wise and generous."

She shrugged and played with flowers growing nearby, twisting them together to make bracelets and more garlands. "He's great, but he's getting a bit old. King Utonium is already fifty one years old, he's not as lively as he was ten years ago." She turned her head to look at him. "Nowadays Princess Blossom does a lot of the work. She's only sixteen, yet she could probably run the entire kingdom by herself. But she's always really busy, and she has less and less time to spend with me and -"

His eyes were immediately on her, "You used to play with the princess? Did you grow up in the castle, too?" She blinked at him, realizing her little slip up.

"Yeah, I work there." Bubbles said quickly, feeling his intense gaze still on her. "In the kitchens. Ever since I was a little girl. The palace staff took me in and gave me a job when I was nine years old, after my mother died."

 _Just one lie after another, Bubbles. This is who you are now, hm?_ A voice laughed inside her mind. _A big fat_ liar _._

Bubbles ignored it. She was doing this to help the kingdoms, so it didn't matter. "Hey, I'm telling all this stuff about me, and you still don't let me see your face?" She nudged him with her arm. "I mean, you still haven't told me your name!"

He sighed dramatically, his dark blue eyes meeting hers. "I thought we talked about this. We're not going to see each other again so why bother?" She pouted and turned around onto her stomach to look at his face, which was rather handsome, other than the area that was covered by a leather eye mask.

"That was what you said last time! And look, here we are! At least tell me your name?" She pleaded, giving him the large puppy dog eyes. "I'll tell you mine." She nudged him again.

He sat up reluctantly and looked at her, obviously tired of the conversation already. "Alright. But you've got to stop annoying me about this." She nodded. "My name is Brody. Brody Dale of Gadrea." He held out his hand for her to shake.

She took it and smiled, "Bubbles… uh, Underwood. Bubbles Marie Underwood." That was close.

He raised an eyebrow. "What? Did you forget your name or something?" She laughed nervously, but was screaming like crazy at herself inside.

"Yeah…"

Brody stood up and dusted off his clothes. "Well, I better get going if I want to deliver all this money and jewels to the poor. Goodbye Bubbles, see you around." He got onto his horse and tugged at the reins.

"I like your new cape!" She called after him as he rode off. He waved back at her and she flashed him a big grin. It was true, the dark blue cape suited him and his title well. Besides, she was fairly certain that not all of his clothes were blue, and won't fit into his "Blue Shadow" character.

She stood up and began the walk back to Selodia, smiling to herself. Phase one complete. Finding and befriending the enemy. It was all too easy. All it took was a fake name and a couple girly smiles to trick boys.

Blossom would be pleased to hear all the information she gathered today.

* * *

"Yo Travis!" Buttercup called, waving at him from her horse. She turned around to look at Floyd and Lloyd. "You guys are going to love Travis! He's a hunter. Oh, but wait, he's from Gadrea, so don't, you know, tell Mitch. He'll go crazy."

They looked at each other and turned back to her.

"Um, okay?"

"But if Mitch finds out…"

Buttercup waved them off, "Trust me, he won't. He's Mitch. Now come one, I want you to meet Travis." She sped up to where he was leaning against a tree then jumped off, beckoning her friends to join her.

They shared a glance, and upon deciding that they didn't want to upset the princess, shook their reins for their horses to catch up.

"We're coming BC!"

* * *

 **Wow, last time I updated was a month ago. Sheesh. I've really been slacking off...**


	10. Realizations

**_Disclaimer: Thank Craig Mccraken. I don't - nor will I ever - own the Powerpuff Girls._**

* * *

 ** _~ CHAPTER 10 ~_**

 **Realizations**

* * *

He squinted his eyes at the approaching silhouette. Her extremely loud yelling could be heard from miles away. How obnoxious of her, to not even consider the woodland creatures; to disrupt the peace.

On the other hand, he wasn't the most perfect person, either. Now that he thought about it, she was actually quite like him. Despite the fact that she seemed to absolutely _adore_ Travis, was accepted into the group, and not to mention that long, flowing hair.

Scratch that. She wasn't like him at all.

 _She_ didn't have to grow up on the streets with a filthy beast that did nothing except stuff himself with the goods _he_ had raked in. _She_ didn't have to deal with two annoying brothers; one that was too controlling, and one that was possibly the dumbest person he had ever met. _She_ didn't have to get yelled at for not pretending to be a wonderful and polite prince when guests visited.

They were practically opposites.

Butch's hands twitched. He wanted to strangle her, to watch her die right in front of him. But even though in his mind he was screaming curses at her, he put on his most dashing, courting grin and stood up straight.

"Travis! Hey!" Araceli said brightly as she leapt down from her horse, her green eyes gleaming like emeralds.

 _How revolting_.

"Is it alright if I brought a few of my friends over? I really wanted to introduce you guys to each other. They're the castle guards, but they're not stuck up or anything."

He tilted his head to look over her shoulder at the two figures behind. It wasn't really part of the plan for her to bring guests along, but he'd make do.

"Sure, no problem. Are they good at hunting?" He inquired rather skeptically, his eye brows raised high. "Hunting animals isn't exactly like fending off potential assassins. It is quite similar, but there's the tracking and the not startling and not to mention the they-can-run-twice-as fast-as-you-can part."

She nodded as the two men - well, not exactly. They looked to be around seventeen or eighteen - slowed their horses down as they got closer. "Floyd and Lloyd are great with throwing knifes and using a bow and arrow. They used to sell meat at the market and their business was so good, they were offered the job of guarding the castle."

"Hmm…"

Perhaps this would be harder than he thought. Killing the girl had already poised somewhat of a challenge; taking down two almost full grown men with her would rather be difficult.

But he would do it. If it meant getting Travis kicked out of the Night Owls, he would do anything.

* * *

"You are honestly doing this? How immature. I thought you were a proper and sophisticated princess." Brick laughed loudly as he chased her down the hall, amused by her foolish decision.

Blossom turned her head to glare at him, but continued to run none the less. He chuckled to himself and put on more speed.

What an idiotic girl. He had been living here since he was eight, and before that had crawled through the tight spaces between the walls, hoping to steal food. He knew this place like the back of his hand. If she thought she could out maneuver him, she was wrong.

The girl in front of him turned sharply, taking a small, dusty corridor branching off the main halls that was separated from the main wing. He smirked triumphantly. It was a dead end. There were nothing but dusty old rooms, long forgotten by the castle staff.

As he rounded the bend, he realized he could no longer hear the pitter-patter of her feet against the carpeted floor. Brick halted and his eyes swept across the hallway. No sign of the girl.

"Decided to hide instead, huh?" He spat, his eyes squinting and lip curling. Then suddenly, he started laughing.

* * *

It was like poison. No, not poison itself. More like a snake. A venomous one. A deadly, poisonous snake, slithering through the halls, biting anyone in sight. It was loud, very loud, and seemed almost like someone scheming, if laughs could sound like that. Not a evil warlock scheming, but like someone who was truly evil that no one realized was, and they were extremely amused by their foolishness.

But perhaps it was just Blossom's prejudice against him. She was fairly certain the prince, no matter how terrible, couldn't be evil.

"So, you want to play a game of hide and seek. You know you're going to have to come out eventually, right? Might as well give up now." He announced, and she could almost hear the sneer in his voice.

She didn't reply. No reason to give him a hint about where she was. There were only so many doors he could open and she knew her short-lived peace would soon be over.

As Brick started to fling open doors, counting down loudly so she could hear, Blossom whipped around and locked the door. Although it would definitely give away her position, at least the worst harm he could do was scream and yell at her through the wood. She took a deep breath and scanned the room.

It was small and quaint, like the room of a middle class peasant, perhaps. The light streamed in from an wide window, and tiny particles of dust danced through the air as she took a step forward. There was a single bed against the wall, with two faded pillows propped up. At the foot of it was a large chest, which presumably had been used for storing clothes, but was empty now, for sure. In front of the window was small desk, covered in a thick layer of dust and a wooden chair was seated before it.

She strode over to the window, and peered outside. Nothing but an endless sea of trees, with two snow capped mountains in the distance. If she moved to the left a little, though, she could see the tiniest bit of Selodia, far off, nestled between the hills.

 _This must be one of the older parts of the castle, before the new renovations were made._

Blossom tilted her head just a bit, and caught sight of a dark, flashing red. She blinked and look once more. There standing in the hall, his back to the tall windows that lined the walls, was Brick. He slammed the door to another empty room with a loud crack, that she could hear through the walls, cursing.

Slowly, he turned around, a devilish grin appearing. He walked swiftly to her room, not noticing that she was watching him. Blossom quickly dashed away from her viewing point and positioned herself next to the door, book in hand. If he somehow busted through the wood, she'd knock him out.

The doorknob turned slowly, her intense gaze focused on it. When it did not click and open, she heard a small snicker.

"I found you." He cooed, in a sickening way that made her shudder. "You know," He went on, drawling out each word. "This was actually my room when I was a child."

She froze. Turning around, she took in the dark burgundy curtains that were ripped and the chair with multiple knife marks and other signs that suggested a young, extremely violent boy used to live there.

"Regretting your decision?" He said, and from the corner of her eye she saw he had lowered himself to look through the keyhole. His strange, dark red eyes glinted with malice.

"Go away," She whispered quietly, turning her body to meet his gaze through the tiny opening.

The red eyes narrowed. Silence.

"No."

After a moment of contemplation, Blossom sat back down and took out the book she had stolen, and began to read.

"I don't mind waiting for a few hours. Just keep in mind that I am not one to give up so easily."

She ignored him and read in silence, then she noticed his faint breathing. He was still outside, waiting by the door.

Deciding that she ought to have a little fun, despite the incredibly inappropriate situation, she started to read aloud. Each word was clear and flowed through her lips, weaving between each other, telling the story of a man that traveled throughout the lands, looking for a potion that could end his eternal life.

She sensed him tense, which was followed by "Are you seriously reading that book? Out loud? Can't you at least be quiet?" muttered in a disdainful voice.

Smiling to herself, she continued. He'd either have to sit through the entire story, which she highly doubted he would considering his obvious dislike for literature, or leave.

There was loud groan, but was not followed by any more noise, save for the barely audible breathing.

* * *

"I still can't believe we caught three rabbits and a deer! That's a huge haul considering we only spent a few hours in the woods!" Buttercup exclaimed, pumping her fist in the air as they reached the market.

Travis shrugged and grinned widely at her. "It helps having the greatest hunter in all of Selodia on the team."

She rolled her eyes and scoffed at his flattery. "Seriously, no man would say that to a girl unless they were trying to get with them." There was a pause. " _You're_ not trying to get with _me_ , are you?"

It would be terrible if that were the case. Absolutely terrible. It would mean he didn't care about her real skills, only her outside. She had always been disgusted by men who did that. Fake flattery and fake respect and fake everything. All for a one-night stand.

She furrowed her eyebrows. It would also mean the end of their - maybe fake - friendship. She'd have to go back to bringing a princess. A _proper_ , _dainty_ princess.

Travis smirked and bumped her with his hip suggestively. "The question is: do you _want_ me to?"

Buttercup slugged him playfully and barked a laugh. "Seriously, though. I hate guys that use fake compliments to make girls like them."

" _Seriously_ , Araceli. You're that good. Don't be modest."

She sighed and dropped the sack of meat on the countertop. The butcher's eyes widened in shock. It was a _lot_.

"It's just that I've seen so many of my friends get hurt, you know? They're just girls. All they want is someone to love them and buy them flowers and be there for them."

Travis snorted. "Hey, pass this message onto them for me. _Friends_. That's what they're looking for."

She sighed, swiped the sack of one hundred coins from the butcher's table, and stalked back out, letting him fawn over the meat. Travis followed close behind.

"I guess so."

* * *

"Where's Blossom?" Bubbles inquired, peeking into her father's study. He sighed and looked up from the documents spread across his desk.

"At King Him's castle. Apparently she wanted to spend some time with Prince Brick. The letter from Gadrea said she might stay over for the night."

"What?" She burst, eyes wide with shock. "What if something happens to her? We have to go get her!"  
He shook his head and said, "I'm afraid we can't. It's tricky business, calling a truce. If we go, it'll seem like we still think of the Gadreans as the enemy."

Bubbles pursed her lips and nodded reluctantly. "Alright. I understand." She closed the door and retreated back to her room.

It felt so lonely, sitting in the vast room. With Buttercup and Blossom gone it was so quite, and there was no view or nature to distract her.

She stood up and swung her arms around, desperately trying to get rid of the emptiness. It didn't work. Giving up, she flung herself onto her bed, staring at the ceiling.

The stars were already starting to fade. The constellations she had asked for her father to paint onto the wall as a child that were once an iridescent yellow, had been reduced to a dull lime. She'd have to fix that sometime.

Rolling over in the bed, she faced Blossom's desk. The corner of her sister's diary was peeking out from one of the drawers.

 _I shouldn't._

 _A tiny look won't hurt… She'll never know…_

Bubbles sat up.

* * *

 **Oh geez. I'm so sorry. So very sorry. I know I'm a horrible person. I promise to update sooner next time.**


	11. Transitions

**_Disclaimer: Thank Craig Mccraken. I don't - nor will I ever - own the Powerpuff Girls._**

* * *

 _ **A/N: By the way, as for silentprot** **ester** **'s question, Butch and Travis are two different people, who happen to look alike. A twistede version of the prince and the pauper, I suppose, minus the actually swapping places I suppose**_

* * *

 ** _~ CHAPTER 11 ~_**

 **Transitions**

* * *

It wouldn't open. No matter how she pried at it, clawed at it, slammed it against the table. The stupid diary refused to open. She snarled and threw it across the room, but to no avail.

"Open, you damn book!" Bubbles growled, narrowing her eyes at the hardcover. She scratched the leather with her nails, laving a thin white line.

Her eyebrows furrowed. What was she doing? This wasn't her. She didn't do things like this. It wasn't her, it _couldn't_ be her.

The mist. It was the mist. She had to find out what it did to her. How it controlled her mind and made her do such unthinkable things.

Bubbles stood up. She was leaving tonight. No more delaying. It was driving her insane and she wanted to get rid of it, whatever it was.

* * *

She opened the door ever so slightly, looking through no more than a crack. The breathing did not falter. There were no bright red eyes. He was asleep.

Blossom sighed in relief. She could finally leave. Picking up the book on the floor, she gave the door a little push, and stepped out cautiously.

Brick did not move. He kept on sleeping, his eyes closed and head leaning against the wood. She maneuvered carefully around him, placed _Man of Darkness_ on his lap, and proceeded to walk down the halls.

Halfway to the stairs, she stopped, turned around, and quickly went back to the room. She fetched a small blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders before going back down to the first floor.

It was the right thing to do, after all. She couldn't just leave him there. It was the nearing the beginning of November for god's sake!

Blossom was a princess, and princesses didn't just let others sleep on the floor with nothing but "princely garb" to keep them from freezing to death.

"Ah, princess Blossom. Have you finished your meeting with Prince Brick?" A servant inquired, opening the door for her.

"Yes, and may you please tell the prince that I'm sorry for being so rude to him before? It really was a disastrous mess, and I hope we can start anew the next time we meet," she replied hastily, quickly slipping through, not wanting Brick to catch her slipping away.

"Oh, wait! Don't leave now. How about you spend the night?" He leapt forward, grabbing her hand, a rather frantic look in his eyes.

She shook her head no, and wriggled out of his grip, internally screaming at the prospect of spending more time in the home of such a horrible person.

It was the middle of the night, and it was dreadfully cold outside. She debated whether or not to go back and ask for a thicker cloak to help her stat warm, but upon hearing the door slam shut, decided not to.

Through the darkness that had engulfed her and the thick fog that wrapped around her arms, see could barely see a thing, much make her way back through all the winding streets. She stumbled blindly around for a few minutes, before giving up and deciding to go back. At least then she wouldn't get lost.

Blossom sighed deeply through her mouth, before turning around to head back. She blinked. The castle was gone. The glowing lights, the looming stone towers, the stoic guards. All of it. It had disappeared into the fog.

 _Oh no._

She took a step back, her eyes wide in fear. What was going on? Why.. Why did it all disappear? How could something like this happen? It made no sense, absolutely no sense at all. She hadn't been walking for _that_ long. There was no way a gigantic castle like that could just vanish.

A cold breeze swept past her, whipping up her dress to mid calf. She started to tremble. Oh boy was it cold. She wrapped the thin fabric of her hood around her, and rubbed her hands together for warmth.

 _Click._

She whipped around, but nothing was there. The eerie silence that followed soon after was even more unsettling.

Blossom walked another ten paces.

 _Click. Click._

There it was again. Something was following her. Taking a deep breath, she placed one foot in front of the other, her heart beating rapidly, and began to sprint. She wasn't entirely aware of the direction she was running, and whether or not it lead to Selodia, but it didn't matter.

The clicking was becoming more intense.

 _Click, click, click, Click, Click, CLICK, CLICK._

The fog thinned and she saw that she had been cornered into a alley, with no way out. Her breathing was uneven, and her hair tousled.

 _Click. Click._

 _Cliiiick._

She could see the silhouette of a unknown figure approaching. He - or she - was short, and wore a torn cape that billowed in the wind. The figure approached slowly, _too_ slowly. Blossom kept on backing up, her eyes wide in fear of what was too come. The man stopped abruptly, and her breathing stopped.

A hand reached out, a greenish tint to it's skin. The fingernails were overgrown and grimy. As it stretched further, she saw that the figure's arm was covered in a coarse, matted, black fur.

 _Monster_.

She backed up, pressing her back to the cold stone wall. No, no, no. Was this going to be the end of her? Was she going to die? What would become of her kingdom?

Someone grabbed her hand, and she let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Blossom tried yanking her hand away, shrieking at the top of her lungs, eyes wide in fear. Another hand clamped over her mouth. She squirmed even more, and head butted the person behind her.

"Ow! Why did you do that Blossom?" A soft, feminine voice complained, letting go. "That really hurt, you know?"

 _Bubbles?_

She stopped, and narrowed her eyes at her. The other girl rubbed her forehead and came out of the fog. It was indeed her sister.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were safe back at home! And how did you sneak up behind me? I could've sworn there was a wall right there!" Blossom exclaimed, furrowing her eyebrows.

Bubbles shook her head and looked at her sister confusedly. "What in the blazes are you blabbering about? I saw you wandering the streets, breathing heavily, looking around with big scared eyes, and I made my way through the fog to get you!"

Blossom blinked, her mouth hanging open. "But, but… there was a monster… and a wall… and he was going to kill me…"

Bubbles sighed and grabbed her older sibling hand, rolling her eyes. "C'mon Blossy, let's get you home. You must be going crazy."

Blossom stumbled after Bubbles, her head turned, still looking at the fog that had consumed her.

"But…"

* * *

A dark figure snarled at the retreating forms of the two girls. The first one seemed to have been affected, but the other one was still oblivious. He was going to dispose of her, and wipe away all evidence of his failed attempt, but the first one rescued her, and he couldn't risk harming her.

He snarled again and disappeared back into the shadows. He'll have to wait for her next visit.

Boomer climbed through an open window, glaring at the locked back door. The maids were so annoying sometimes. He dusted off his clothes and was about to readjust his satchel, but then remembered he had stowed away in a hollowed out log to prevent anyone else from finding out about his mischief.

He casually made his way through the kitchen, grabbing an apple along the way. Most of the torches that lined the castle walls were already snuffed out - to prevent any "accidents" - but a few were still blazing, casting long shadows on the cold stone.

* * *

He carefully opened the door to his and his brother's room, and stepped inside. Boomer tiptoed across the room, and quietly slid into his bed, not caring about the dirty clothes he wore.

As he struggled under his covers to yank off his boots, he caught a glimpse of a figure sitting on Brick's bed. He was alarmed for a second, thinking it was an intruder of some sort, but then soon realized it was but his eldest brother.

Brick's back was straight, and his intense red eyes were wide open, staring off into the distant forests and mountains. His breaths were slow and deep, and he was twiddling his thumbs, something he did whenever he was distracted.

Whatever his brother was thinking about was beyond Boomer, but it must've been incredibly interesting for him not to notice his brother sneaking back into the room.

The blonde haired boy furrowed his eyebrows, wondering what it could be, then shrugged, and soon fell asleep.

* * *

The days passed, and the times Princess Blossom visited the Kingdom of Gadrea were brief hours of her locking herself up in Brick's old room, reading books she'd snatched from his own personal bookshelf.

Their relationship became less sour, and more distant. She stopped talking to him, even when he threw insults at her, and the only exchange between them was the meeting of eyes before she breezed past him.

Those days were dull and incredible waste of time to Brick. Though he still felt an immense amount of hatred the girl, the first day of their "quality time" was much preferred to the boring hours of sitting in his room, practicing violin.

It was a hobby - of sorts. He didn't particularly enjoy standing with his back straight and chin up for countless minutes, but at least it was something to do and was interesting. He'd found the instrument when he went exploring around the castle at age nine, still rather new to the whole "royalty" thing.

As a child he was never one for art or music or literature or anything of the kind. He found it pointless, and that having street smarts, knowing how to disarm a full grown man, were proven far more useful.

Naturally, he smashed it the smithereens. Stomped on the polished wood, laughing maniacally and shouting curses that he hadn't even known the meaning of at the poor instrument. His caretaker - half nanny and half teacher - Ima Goodlady, had stormed in, eying the ruined violin with fury.

She had dragged the wild boy shrieking and wriggling out of the room, and sat him down in another room _full_ of musical instruments, lecturing him about how music was beautiful, and that he should respect it, and that she was going to teach him how to play.

The first fifty or so lessons were absolute torture, and he had attempted escape many times, that is, until Ima had two guards positioned outside the door to prevent any more shenanigans.

By the hundredth class he had become somewhat of a violin prodigy, and started to appreciate the arts. She had priceless paintings hung up around the castle, took him to music shows in the kingdom, and bought shelves upon shelves of books for him.

Now, at age seventeen, he was attempting to create his own songs and melodies, exceeding far past even the fast paced songs Ima had asked a professional violinist to teach him. Those were just so _amateur._

The free time that the arranged marriage brought him was certainly helping him with that. While that stupid Princess Blossom was sitting in his old room, reading a book, _he_ was actually being productive. Compared to him, she was nothing.

He became so engrossed in his music, that he didn't even notice her standing in the doorway until she started slowly clapping. Her eyes were wide, and mouth agape. Brick stared at her for a while, and she stared right back at him.

"Y-you play the violin?" She asked, eyebrows still furrowed in disbelief. He narrowed his eyes at her, wanting to tell her off and return to his music.

But he had never been known to be modest.

"Yes. Only took me a couple years to get this good. What about you, Pinky? You play anything?" She blinked and shook her head slowly. He snorted. "Of course. What else would I expect from someone like you?"

Her expression turned nasty, and she glared at him. "What do you mean by _that?_ 'Someone like me'?"

He scoffed and turned away from her. "Never mind. Run off. Go read some more silly books. Don't bother me, you insufferable girl."

Her eye twitched. Man. That girl really had a problem. "No, I will not go _read_! First of all, what you said was incredibly offensive, and good literature is anything but silly! I can't believe you're still doing this!" She snapped, taking a step forward. "It's been what? Over a month since we've met, and you're still insulting me for no reason? How immature are you? _I_ already apologized for being so rude back then, but you sure haven't! You don't have the right to talk to me like that!"

Brick smirked. "Ah. But you can talk to me however _you_ want?"

She put a hand to her chest, indignant. "What? I haven't been the least bit rude to you since that first day! You're the one that thinks they're so high and mighty!"

He chuckled and rolled his eyes at her. "Wow, you sure are being impolite right now, Blossom. It's really upsetting me."

* * *

 ** _I've been suuuuper busy recently with hiking training for next year's mountain climb, which is this totally sweet thing my school does, and haven't had time to update much. But don't worry! I've already finished the next chapter and am currently editing it. I've started on chapter 13, too, but that'll probably take some time considering it's a major part of the plot, so it might take some extra time to finish. I've also changed the title to "Happily Ever After" since "Mysteries of the Heart" seems so generic and doesn't actually have much to do with the story itself. So yeah. That's pretty much this time's update._**


	12. Secrets

**_Disclaimer: Thank Craig Mccraken. I don't - nor will I ever - own the Powerpuff Girls._**

* * *

 ** _~ CHAPTER 12 ~_**

 **Secrets**

* * *

The past couple of weeks had been absolutely wonderful for Buttercup, though she would never admit it. Her entire life she had been pampered, given everything she had ever wanted, loved, and treated well, like a princess.

It was torturous.

She didn't particularly enjoy it when there were maids tending to her every need, never asking her to do anything for them, being perfect servants. It was just so _unchallenging_.

But this, _this_! This was incredible! Pure, unadulterated happiness coursed through her veins each time she rode, each time she loosed an arrow, each time she was with him.

It wasn't that she was falling in love with Travis or anything, such feelings were far too sentimental for her, and she preferred to keep their relationship simple, especially after the last time. It was just that… that he didn't seem restrained at all. Sure, he'd had his strange mood swings when one day he was a kind, gentlemanly person, while others he was brash and wild, but either way, he was free. Free and full of life.

They met up twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, to go exploring and hunting, and she almost felt like a child again, with no worries or responsibilities.

"Hey," he called from ahead, turning his horse around to face her properly. He cocked his head a bit to the side and asked, "you okay? Do you need a break or something? We have been riding for almost two hours, so don't be embarrassed or whatever."

She rolled her eyes and shook the reins violently. "As if. I could go on like this for _days_. Don't use me as an excuse for you to plant your sorry bottom on the ground and gorge yourself on food, you sorry excuse of a man."

For a moment she thought she caught a flicker of irritation in his eyes, but upon hearing his warm, loud, laugh, decided that she was just being ridiculous. Travis was her friend. He was cool.

"Then come _on._ The ocean is only twenty minutes away, so hurry up!" He hollered, facing forward once again and riding faster, his horse kicking up dust.

Grinning widely, she increased her speed and caught up to him at the top of the hill. Her mind momentarily went blank as her breath was taken away.

"Wow…"

He flashed his trademark smirk and his dark green eyes glittered in the sunlight. "Pretty amazing, huh?"

She nodded, eyes still glued to the grassy cliffs and the blue water that pushed and pulled. She'd never been to the ocean, growing up in a somewhat inland kingdom, where it was a couple hours away on horseback.

He cast the briefest of glances at her, before continuing down the dirt path leading to the beach. After taking in another breath of refreshing salty air, she quickly followed him, eager to get up close.

When they reached the cliff he stopped abruptly, and hopped off his steed, urging her to do the same.

"Wait, what? Why?" She furrowed her eyebrows at him, eyes squinted in confusion.

He tossed his head in the direction of the cliff, tying his horse's rein to a scraggly looking tree with bleached white bark and said, "Take a look, and tell me you think a thousand pound horse could make their way down _that_."

She handed Spitfire's reins to him, walked briskly to the edge, and peered down the two hundred foot drop with jagged rocks lining the side of the cliff. Off to the side was a small path, with just enough room to for single file, going down at a steep seventy degree angle that lead to the white sandy beach.

"Oh."

He dusted his hands and walked up to her. "Yeah, pretty intense. But you can do it." Travis waved absentmindedly, before breaking into a large smirk. "Or are you too _scaaaaaaaared_?" He jeered, his white teeth reflecting the bright sun.

Her eyes were immediately on him, the cloudy look in them now replaced by a bright, vicious glint. "Are you challenging me, Storme?"

"You know it, _Carleton_." He grinned wickedly, then grabbed the satchels she and him had filled with food that morning, and promptly threw them down the cliff. Her eyes widened as it flew in a clean arc, before landing with a explosion of sand on the beach, a couple feet away from the dangerous looking rocks.

"Hey! There was an apple in there! It's probably all smushed now. Aw. I hope you're happy, you maniac," She cried indignantly, smacking herself in the forehead.

"Your loss. So, like I was saying, whoever gets down first get's whatever that want from the other's food bag."

She grumbled, "God, you're such a pig." before nodding grudgingly.

They positioned themselves five feet away from the path and she counted slowly, feeling her muscles tense as her eyes scanned the small dirt trail, looking for shortcuts.

"Three, two, one… Go!"

* * *

"This place… certainly is… different." Bubbles commented, running her arm nervously.

Brody chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah. I know. This place is a dump, isn't it?" He tossed his head at a crumbling house constructed from rotting wood and sodden hay.

She grimaced, swatting away fruit flies, and said, "How do people even live like this? Don't they have enough money to at least afford a suitable shelter?"

He shook his head, checks tinted a light pink, obviously embarrassed. "I'm afraid not. Gadrea is a rather… money centric kingdom, and those of noble heritage or great wealth are promised better resources and stock, while the lower class starve." He held up a pouch of jewels and shook it. "That's why I'm giving away these."

Bubbles was confused, and quicken her pace to walk next to him. "But wouldn't the rich end up poor and the poor end up rich, then?"

He shook his head again, and replied, "Well, no. You see, the rich have the best jobs, right? The merchants, scholars, noblemen, all that. The poor are left as laborers and servants. As long as I ration my trips, by the time I steal more money, the rich would've earned all their stuff back, though slightly less, of course. In a few years, the poor would've had enough money to afford better living conditions, and the rich would've been taken down by a notch, and perhaps finally understand how the lower classes feel."

She blinked slowly, processing it all in her head. "Okay…" Bubbles nodded, but then something hit her. "Wait, you're only going to stop after a few _years_? Isn't that a bit long?" She waved flailed her arms about, and exclaimed, "You still have your entire life ahead of you! Aren't you going to get a job or something first?"

He shrugged and swatted her hands away. " I don't know. Can you really see me off in some little shop, working away? I mean, seriously?"

"Well, yes. Maybe. You're a good guy, Brody. And though you might not seem like it, I bet you would do anything to help others." She said, and stopped in front of him. "Just look at you. Stealing and risking your life to help more unfortunate citizens? If that's not something a good person would do, then I don't know what good is."

Brody stared at her, and a terse moment passed. He suddenly laughed. "Oh, Bubbles. You know what a good guy would do? They would work their butts off, and then help the poor with money that was earned fair and square." He pointed to himself, eyes wide. "Me? No, I'm not a good guy. The very least a somewhat decent person. Not good. Oh, no way in hell am I good."

He brushed passed her, ignoring the dumbstruck expression on her face. She stood there for a moment, completely stunned. How could someone say they weren't good? Especially someone like Brody. He seemed so nice, and even tried to help others. Maybe she really didn't know what good was anymore.

Brody took long fast strides, and rapped two times on the door of the first intact house on his right. A frail looking woman opened it cautiously, a baby wriggling in her arms. Her dark hair was thin and matted, and cut at uneven lengths. Her eyes spoke of pain and sorrow.

"Miss," Brody said gently, trying to seem as harmless and helpful as he could. "I understand you have some-" He cleared his throat. "Ah, financial problems?"

The women cowered back, shrinking into herself, obviously terrified. Bubbles felt extremely uncomfortable, like she was intruding on someone else's business. She'd never seen anything like this before.

Back in Selodia, the kingdom provided whatever was needed for the citizens. If there was a sick child that needed help and their family couldn't pay for medicine, her sister would always send a doctor to help. Whenever a man lost their job, Blossom would assign him another one.

Bubbles was used to her sister taking care of everything, making sure everyone was okay, keeping the kingdom prosperous and happy ever since her mother passed away. It had never occurred to her that other lands worked differently.

Brody unhooked a pouch from his belt and told the woman to hold out her hand. She trembled in fear, and slowly brought out her free hand. He carefully placed it in her palm, wrapping her fingers around it.

"Inside this bag are five rubies. Don't show them off to anyone or tell them about how you got it. Exchange them for cash, and buy whatever you need to provide for your family," he said firmly, looking her square in the eye, mouth set in a tight line.

She looked down at the little brown bag, unmoving. Steadily, she set down her child and reached her other hand up to the thin piece of string that held it closed, and tugged on it. The mouth of the pouch opened and Bubbles caught a glimmer of five small jewels, before the woman pulled it closed.

"Thank you, sir. Thank you so, very, very much. I-I can't begin to tell you how hard it has been with my husband dead and a newborn infant. How can I ever repay you?" She said in a raspy voice, though misty eyes.

"Oh, no need to repay me, Miss," he said cheerfully, grinning. "Just doing my part in helping society."

* * *

"Wow," Araceli breathed, sprawled on the warm beach, cheeks flushed. She rolled over onto her stomach and grinned upside down at Butch, who's hair too was tousled and covered in tiny grains of sand. "You really _do_ suck at climbing and footraces."

He scoffed and thrust a hand up to push her away, eyes still closed. "Tch. I was going easy on you, Cel. Since you'd never been even in the proximity of an ocean before. If I actually tried, I could totally beat you."

She barked a laugh and swatted some sand in his direction, getting it all over his tunic. He threw her a dirty look and brushed it off. They laid there for a while, basking in the welcoming sunlight and feeling the hot sand between their toes.

"Hey," he said suddenly, "you ever gone swimming before?"

"Of course I have, what do you take me for? Some kind of idiot? God, use your brains." She shot back, scorn laced in her voice.

"In the ocean?"

There was a pause.

"Well, no…"

Butch sat up suddenly, specks of white grain raining from his hair. "Wanna go?" He turned to face her, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Right now?" She asked, an eyebrow raised, clearly surprised.

He glanced up at the sky. Cerulean blue. A few fluffy white clouds here and there. The waves today were gentle too, and high tide wasn't for another four hours. Only a few jagged rocks over to the other end of the stretch of beach.

He shrugged. "Why not? Perfect weather, and we got nothing to do." She contemplated this for a short period of time, before standing up.

"Sure."

* * *

"What's the farthest you've ever been from Selodia?" He asked, sitting next to her on a caved in area in the cliff they found about ten feet above the water, legs swinging in the cool breeze, which felt nice after he rolled his pant legs up to mid-calf.

"I don't know. I think it was a small village way up in the North mountains. I think it was called, what? Baxenbough? Whatever. It was super cold up there and everything was always covered in a layer of snow." She replied, reach behind her to grab another rock for her to chuck into the sea.

"Oh. I think the farthest I've even been was to the West coast. They sell some might strange items there. Think I saw a notebook that never ran out a pages there once. Said a witch had handcrafted it. I pity the gullible idiots that actually paid for that stuff."

She chuckled and thew the rock she'd been turning over in her hand off into the distance, creating a small splash in the otherwise calm water.

His eyes followed the clear arc it had taken all the way back to Araceli's still outstretched arm, and stopped on her. Her long messy hair was held up in a high ponytail, and her undershirt was already starting to dry in the afternoon sun. It was strange how her eyes didn't reflect the bright sunlight this morning, but did now during the later half of the day.

"Hey," she began, tearing him from his thoughts. "It's getting kind of late. I better hurry home or my older sister is going to go all psycho on me again." Araceli stood up and carefully began to maneuver across the small ledge leading back to the path they'd taken down to the beach. "You coming?"

He shook his head. "Nah. I think I'm going to stay here a bit longer. Enjoy the fresh air a bit more before going back to my wreck of a kingdom."

She shrugged and continued inching over, then jumped at the last foot or so to the dirt path. "Suit yourself." She waved, before trekking back up the steep slope.

Butch took a deep breath and turned back to the endless ocean, ears straining to her light footsteps fading.

* * *

"I told you to stay away from her, you idiot!" Travis hissed at the unfazed prince before him lounging casually on a tree. "If something happens to her, I'm dead!"

Butch snorted and flapped his hand lazily at the fuming boy, drawling, "Don't worry, Storme. I'm not going to kill her. There's something strange about this girl. Don't want to start a full fledged war between the kingdoms, do I?" He pondered this for a moment, and his lips drew into a snarky grin. "Or _do_ I?"

"I don't care about your crazy kill spree fantasies! This is _my_ life we're talking about! And I've known since I was very little that is something you can't trust anyone with but yourself!"

"Hah! And if I refuse to stop? Who do you think everyone will believe? Me, the prince, or you. A low-life scout? Besides, we look the same, Travis. Practically twins. You have no proof whatsoever it was my fault if that girl manages to kill herself." Butch sneered, his eyes glinting in the moonlight.

"Your brother knows."

The prince's face immediately darkened, and her dropped the nasty smirk. "Brick? Psh. How would he know? All he cares about is power. Why the hell would he spend time with the likes of _you_?"

Travis allowed himself a little victory grin as he realized that Butch was still clueless and left out of his older sibling's schemes, like always.

"Did you honestly think that you would just happen to run into an identical copy of yourself in the woods? Did you really think I would just let you run around, killing in my name just because 'I was tired of working all the time'? Please, I love my job. As if I'd give it up to some spoiled prince. No, your bother paid me to make sure his little brother had enough 'fun' to keep from having spontaneous violent fits. He guaranteed the safety of my family, and that by the age of twenty, I would be working as the captain of Gadrea's soldiers."

Butch's eyes were narrowed at him, and he was radiating hate and resentment. Travis waved absentmindedly at him, turning on his heels, bathing in his victory. "I suggest you stay away from the girl, or there could be serious consequences."

"I'll pay you," The prince spoke up. "Whatever you want."

Travis stopped in his tracks. His family could use some extra cash. And he'd probably be able to get a new sword and gear. _And_ he'd be the one listing the terms.

"I'm listening."

* * *

 _ **Ehhhhh? Told ya guys I'd update real soon! A slightly longer chapter too! But you're probably going to have to wait a bit longer for the next one, 'cause...plot stuff...**_


	13. Questions

**_Disclaimer: Thank Craig Mccraken. I don't - nor will I ever - own the Powerpuff Girls._**

* * *

 ** _~ CHAPTER 12 ~_**

 ** _Questions_**

* * *

 _'_ _You're such a little brat, you know Blossom? Always sticking your nose in other people's business. Always pretending to be the best. Always acting better than everyone else. You make me sick."_

Brick was a smart and cunning boy, or at least he liked to think so. Most of the time he planned his actions carefully, leaving behind that reckless little boy that had caused so much pointless destruction. He wanted to scoff at all those years, wasted on pranks and mischief, long ago realizing that he could do so much more, cause so much more serious damage, with nothing but words.

He'd thought that perhaps the girl would be more like him when he was young, in a way, he suppose. That she'd lash out angrily, snapping and biting fiercely at his remarks. He would never admit it, not even to himself, but he'd anticipated the times when she'd come over so he could antagonize her further.

He hadn't expect her to do what she did, especially after her previous weak attempts at shutting him out and rash half baked retorts.

The princess had left. Her eyes glazed over a bit, and without a second glance, left the room. No anger. No frothing. She. Just. Left.

It left him in a bit of a shock; he'd been so excited to see the heir to the neighboring =kingdom reduced to nothing but a wild, feral animal. He'd stood there for God knows how long, staring blankly at the closed door, mind swarming with confusion.

It didn't make any sense. She was a crazy, hot tempered idiot. There was no way she would be able to resist, considering the type of idiotic person she was. It just didn't add up.

After a servant came to report that Blossom had left shortly after, he'd been furious. Furious with himself, furious with his apparent miscalculation, furious at _her_. _Her, her, her._

Dammit. He didn't know why he disliked her so much. Other than the obvious not wanting to be engaged to her, and the nagging fact that she acted so perfect and holier than everyone else around her, there wasn't much to hate about Blossom Utonium.

She was a nice girl, he'd admit, and it did take longer to annoy her than most, she was a quite intelligent, despite her failed attempts to come up with comebacks that weren't cheesy or overused, and though he would rather die than say it aloud, she really was a good princess.

But maybe it was that that made him find her intolerable. The fact that she was so mature and perfect and just flawless and it just made him _so, so, so mad._ He didn't like it.

It made him want to curse whenever he saw her smile at one of the servants, thanking them for their help. It made him want to just break something, anything.

He wondered if she used to be like him when he was under the age of thirteen. If she would've exploded at him, if she would've tried to strangle him. He wondered if she'd been anything like his previous girlfriend, Berserk, who was steely and harsh.

The thought that there was the possibility of her being so in the past made him feel better, if only a little. But it did, none the less.

* * *

 _'_ _You're such a little brat, you know Blossom? Always sticking your nose in other people's business. Always pretending to be the best. Always acting better than everyone else. You make me sick."_

Blossom was a mature and reasonable girl, or at least she liked to think so. Most of the time she would take care of everything that her father didn't have time for, and then some. Ever since she was little she'd been that kind of person.

When she was five and found a lost puppy, first thing she did was take it home to care for. When she was eight and her friend Robin fell down the castle stairs, she immediately rushed down to help her pop her dislocated shoulder back into place. And just three years ago, after recently turning fourteen, she managed to get half of the children that lived in the poorer part of Selodia into some of the History and English classes held by a retired tutor in a large schoolhouse she convinced her father to fund for.

Not many people disliked the princess, that was for sure. So naturally, she wasn't very used to someone so obviously taunting her, and admittedly, lost her temper a couple times.

She was so confused as to why he would act like that. She wasn't rude to him, at least not in the beginning, and didn't want to anger him at all. Maybe it was something she did by accident that made him hate her so much.

Or maybe he just didn't enjoy spending time with her. Blossom understood that not everyone was going to like and adore her, but she didn't exactly feel comfortable with Brick clearly bearing so much hatred for her. It was just strange.

She tried to think back to the last time someone was so mean and rude to her, and only a hazy picture surfaced amongst the years of praise and love.

It was a faint memory, from long ago. She remembered running home and crying to her mother, tears running down her cheeks as she choked out how she didn't mean for anyone to feel that way, and that all she wanted was to be good.

That was so long ago. At least a good eight years.

She couldn't quite recall who it was that called her "a disgusting, nosy brat that should've never been born", but she did remember that after the incident she never really set foot outside the castle, in fear of being so hurt again.

It had taken her mother days to calm the blubbering little girl down, to finally convince her that she wasn't a horrible person. Blossom had recovered, but only barely. She still hadn't completely understood the concept of people thinking that she was something other than a perfect, adorable little girl.

Her mother passing away the next year didn't help.

Blossom squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the months of despair and heartbreak, and turned her thoughts to other things. Reminiscing about bad events were never known to improve one's mood.

She turned her head slightly to the left, and caught sight of bright blue hem peeking out from the walk in closet.

 _The seamstress must have finished the dresses this afternoon._

Oh, boy was she excited for the annual masquerade party just a couple weeks from now. It was finally her kingdom's time to host it again! Of course there'd be many, many preparations, decorating the streets, making sure all the festivities were planned… And the dresses! Oh dear God, the dresses.

Blossom wasn't exactly her little sister when it came to fashion, but she still loved the beautiful fabrics and designs. Nothing too flashy or revealing, naturally. She kind of wanted to sneak a peek at what her friend Kim's mother had made this year, but restrained herself and decided to wait for her sisters to return first.

It was going to be absolutely fabulous. As always, everyone would be invited, Cador, Aleton, Gadrea…

Gadrea. Brick was going to be there. She groaned inwardly to herself. She didn't hate him as he did her, but she wasn't fond of him either. All the other years she hadn't paid much attention to them, only knowing that there was another royal family with three children their age.

She'd seen him and his brothers hanging around the castle ballroom where all the higher classes were invited to, standing in the corner, messing around - or at least his siblings were. Most of the time he seemed to just brood.

The one with the black hair, Butch, didn't appear as often, and Blossom suspected that he was probably one of the kids that just went hung out with his buddies and went off on their own, much like Buttercup.

Boomer, the blue eyed one, seemed to enjoy just go around, tripping up people, occasionally throwing frogs in the drink fountain (there was an incident last year, and he happened to be standing very, very close by, laughing his head off). But all little troublemaking boys did that, so she paid him no heed either.

Even though in all honesty she only glanced at Brick a few times, she'd always thought of him as somewhat… admirable. It wasn't often that she met children the same age as her who acted mature and professional.

The eve of the twenty-fourth was going to be so awkward.

 _I wonder if I'll have to dance with him?_ Blossom wondered dimly to herself, eyes following the intricate dark blue thread that adorned her sister's dress. _Maybe he'll play his violin._

* * *

 _This is it._ Bubbles thoughts were racing as she bounced nervously on her toes, standing before the thick fog that covered Gadrea. _This is it._

After the incident with Blossom Bubbles was shaken, and put off visiting the nearby kingdom for another month. But her headaches were getting worse, and the number of terrifying flashbacks were increasing.

Even though her mind wandered often, and she would always get caught daydreaming or giggling at memories of the past, she knew that this was far too unnatural. Some kind of twisted potion, perhaps? She hoped it wasn't a witch. She hated witches.

She prepped herself mentally for another two minutes, chanting the words _You can do this_ over and over again, eyes glued to the moving tendrils.

Another deep breath and she took a stride into the milky white.

There was no noise this time. No howl, no ragged gasps. She blinked five times and swiped at the fog before her, a feeble attempt to see better.

"Hello?" She called, but only a warbled cough came out. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Hello." This time confident, more of a challenge than a question.

No reply.

 _Oh well, I suppose no on is here. I guess I should get going-_

A whisper in her ear.

"Hello."

Bubbles stiffened, and the breath at the side of her face disappeared.

"Who are you?"

The wind picked up, whipping the fog around her.

"Nobody important." murmured a distance voice.

"What do you want?" She screamed, terrified of it's answer.

"I want…"

The tendrils rose up into a cyclone, and she stood in the eye, shielding herself with her arms.

"I want…"

Then the screeching began, deafening, louder than anything she had ever heard before, topping parades and festivals. It was all around her, coming from every angle, and she covered her ears, desperately trying to shut it out.

Faces, faces surrounding her, wailing, every one in pain or sorrow or fright or anger. They were all the same, misshapen, orifices lumped and small, save for the mouths. It was the same person - or creature - bellowing, yelling, shrieking.

The raspy voice, quiet and calm, rang clear in her head despite the volume.

"I want to remember."

The guards found her early the next morning, when the air was still heavy with mist and dew, sprawled on the street, hair out of her pigtails, her breath coming out in faint wispy puffs.

They brought her back to the castle, trying to get something - anything - out of her, but all she could do was tremble and croak incomprehensible words. The servants and maids left her in the kitchen, by the fire, so she could have some time to herself.

"How'd she survive?" Bubbles strained to hear the mutters from behind the thick wooden door.

"I don't know…last night was the nineteenth, an odd number, he should have gotten her…why-I don't get it…she should've" The man trailed off, into a low whisper.

"I know, it just doesn't make sense. No sense at all… she should've-" She leaned forward, the blanket the staff gave her to wrap around herself dropping to the floor, and pressed her cheek against the wood.

There was a loud sigh, and he slowly pushed the door open, and she leapt back, nervous at the prospect of being found eavesdropping.

"Never mind, I don't want to scare the poor girl. What she saw must've have been traumatizing. Let's just take her home."

She sat on the little stool, pretending to stare into the dancing flames. The two people came in, and kneeled before her, asking about where she lived and who she was, but they were empty words, going in one end and straight out the other.

Bubbles sat numbly, wringing her hands, eyes wide, the servant's whisper echoing in her mind.

 _"_ _She should've been killed."_

* * *

 ** _Took less time than I expected. Well, lucky for you guys then. The next chapter is already in progress, so hopefully I can upload it before summer vacation starts!_**


	14. Gowns

**_Disclaimer: Thank Craig Mccraken. I don't - nor will I ever - own the Powerpuff Girls._**

* * *

 ** _~ CHAPTER 14 ~_**

 ** _Gowns_**

* * *

Buttercup had never been one for dancing. The torturous lessons she took as a child were almost completely useless, and half of the time left her in an even fouler mood than before. She'd return to her room with bruised feet and a scowl, cursing about how useless and stupid it dancing was.

Every year she would do her best to avoid her father and the guests, slinking off into the shadows, not wanting to be dragged into their pointlessly complicated dances, with all the twirling and the sidestepping and the bowing, oh God, the bowing, it made her sick.

Why the kingdoms did this she had no idea, it was boring, stupid, and nothing more than an excuse for people to flaunt their wealth through intricate outfits and heavy jewelry.

There were far more exciting things to do, places to be explored, ruins to be uncovered, mysteries to be solved. She hadn't had a good adventure since she was a little girl, and even that was more of a challenge that she couldn't turn down than something she truly wanted to do.

Her entire life she had to suppress her desires, her feelings, her urges, the flames that rose in her chest whenever she fought, just to please her family. She'd never gotten the life she wanted, and she'd probably won't ever.

These were the thoughts that sprung into her mind as her younger sister pulled the three dresses out of the closet, the skirts flaring as she swung them in front of her, modeling each one momentarily before placing them on Blossom's rose bedspread.

She narrowed her eyes, blowing her bangs out of her face. Her hair was getting long; she should get it cut. Bubbles fawned over the clothing, touching each one's material, her eyes lighting up as she reached her own.

Her sister launched into a ramble about different fabrics, how the one used for her dress was her absolute favorite, and that she would love to work with it and make something beautiful, too, just like Kim's mother had.

"So," Buttercup interjected, just as she was about to elaborate on a new design she came up with for her sisters, one that they would "absolutely love". "This is it, huh? The gowns for the festival. It's in what? Five weeks? Just _fabulous_ , really."

"Buttercup, stop being so sarcastic, we all know you hate these things. Can you at least pretend to be excited or something? Everyone's going to be there." Blossom reprimanded.

"I don't get it! What is the point of this? Can't we just all bake a giant cake and eat it or something? Why the dancing? Why the dresses? Why?" She exploded, gesturing wildly with outstretched arms.

"But I like all that stuff…" Bubbles said meekly, looking from Buttercup to Blossom, still holding the hem of her gown.

"Yes, Bubbles, we know you like these stupid events, but _I_ sure as hell don't!" Buttercup snapped, her long black hair flying around her. "What I'm trying to say is that all this doesn't even mean anything! It's all just an excuse! An excuse to show off and be pretentious idiots!"

"Stop it," Blossom commanded, her voice rising in both level and authority, "stop behaving like a whiny little child. Our kingdoms have done this for decades, it's an old tradition. We're not going to stop because 'you don't like it'. You're going to wear that dress," She jabbed a finger at her sister. "you're going to go to the ball," She took a step forward. "and you're going to be happy about it!" Her eyes were level with her sisters, burning a bright pink.

Both of them were tense as light green eyes glared back, and they held each other's gaze, silently battling.

Blossom sagged her shoulders and sighed. "I'm sorry, it's just, just that I've been having a rather hard time controlling myself. Spending so much time with the prince has definitely been…stressful."

"No, I'm pretty sure you're always a controlling freak," Buttercup muttered back, but not loud enough for her sister to hear.

"I know you really dislike going to the ball, but you have to, Buttercup. With the alliance between us and Gadrea forming, we'll have to be extra polite and extra cautious. This could be the first step to finally ending the war, and I don't want to mess it up." She continued, settling on her bed, next to the dresses.

Oh, no. Blossom was going to try and guilt trip her again. Dammit, why were girls always so good at this? The twins or Harry or even Mitch could never make her do anything she didn't want to, but her weak, pathetic sisters could? Well, sometimes Mitch could, when he smirked, his eyes narrowing just the slightest, the arch of his eyebrows, one curving up while the other down… sometimes.

"Hey, how's this?" Her sister said abruptly, after apparently much thought. "You say hello to the King of Gadrea - and his sons - have one dance, and you can be off. I promise you won't get in trouble like all the other times. I'll come up with an excuse for you, okay?"

Buttercup blinked. Well, this was new.

"Are you serious?"

Blossom nodded, and said in a somewhat strained voice, "Yes, you're sixteen, you've had to deal with this for sixteen years already, I think it's time you finally got some …freedom."

Her bright green eyes were wide, glittering like never before, and her mouth was agape.

"I-I… I can't…thank you, Blossom, thank you so, so much!" She burst, pulling her sister in for a hug, much to her surprise. "Really, Blossom, thank you," she whispered into her ear, as her grip on her loosened, and she let her go.

"Well, we are sisters, after all. It's the least I could do, after everything you've endured for us." Blossom smiled, smoothing out her dress.

"So…" Bubbles spoke up, and they turned to her. "Time to try these on?" She held the gowns up again, a grin spreading across her face.

* * *

Boomer strode down the street, with Thomas next to him, sniffing around, occasionally greeting the townsfolk. Today was one of his days off. He had finished class early, and had just delivered the gems he'd collected yesterday. He was planning on visiting Selodia, to plan his ultimate prank, of course.

He was sixteen this year, it was time he'd upped his game, and deliver the final blow. Though he'd never give up his pranking career, maybe it was time to let it rest for a while, seeing now he had much more important things to attend to.

Oh, that reminded him, Bubbles lived in Selodia. Huh. Bubbles, that was a strange name. He was pretty sure he'd heard to before, maybe from one of his professors or his father, or something. Maybe she was some sort of famous old queen? He wasn't really sure, and didn't really care.

That girl sure seemed to like him, for some reason. Of course he'd had other girls fawn over him before, but that was all because he was prince. Like Brat. Ugh, she was so annoying. Her name was literally, _Brat._

 _Hah. Brat's such a brat,_ He thought to himself, chuckling. _I am just too good when it comes to comedy._

He wasn't watching where he was walking though, and almost tripped into a cart, before crashing to the ground.

Thomas barked wildly at him as he slowly got back up. His eyes drifted to the giant red fruit painted to the side.

"Oh, apples. I'll buy a three!" He reached into his satchel and dropped five coins into the vendor's - who was still confused about what had happened - palm.

Swiping three of the bright red candy-like fruit, he made his way once again down the street, cutting one up to give to Thomas, who had long since decided they were now his favorite food.

"Here, boy, I know you love th-"

Boomer blinked, and once again found himself sprawled on the cold, hard, uninviting ground.

"Oh my Goood. Do I just have really bad luck or something?" He moaned, looking up to find a bright yellow dress in his way.

"Oh my Goood. Do peasants just really like bumping into me?" The girl moaned, turning around. "Who the even hell are you?"

He snorted and brushed off his clothes, "And who the hell are you? Calling me a peasant. Hah…" He trailed off as he saw that it was in fact, Princess Morebucks that had called him a peasant.

"Oh, heeeey Princess. Fancy seeing you here." He said, wincing a bit at her bright red hair and squinted green eyes.

"Hello Boomer, you might not be a lowly citizen, but you're definitely not much better. I'm here to find that insufferable girl. I told her to find the Blue Shadow for me a month ago, and she still hasn't reported anything yet!"

"Wait, what? You hired someone to find that guy? You're that serious about all this?" He frowned, his eyebrows lowering.

"Well, yes. That piece of scum took my bracelet. And no, I didn't exactly hire her. She was going around, offering help, and I thought I might as well…threaten her to find that thief before the first of November?" She made a face. "Now that I say it out loud, it doesn't seem…as reasonable as I thought…"

"Yeah, no kidding."

"But never mind that, I'm a princess, and she should be enlisted to help me no matter what! Have you by any chance seen her around? About my height, bright blond hair in two pigtails, blue eyes, pale skin?"

"You don't mean Bubbles, do you?" Boomer muttered, the only blue eyed blonde he knew besides himself popping into his head. "Why would she try to help bring me down? I thought she was helping me…"

"So you know this girl? Tell me where she is! I need to have _a word with her_." Princess pressed, her eyes narrowing even more.

Boomer ignored her, deep in thought. Why in the world would Bubbles do this? She seemed so nice, trustworthy, and cheerful, and like a perfect little girl. He was even planning to ask her to accompany him to the festival. Seeing they could snatch a lot of money there, of course. He was going to ask her in a romantic way, or anything.

The question pounded in his head, and Princess's endless whining and screaming were blocked out. Why would she do it? He mulled this over, slowly walking away, not realizing what a big ruckus the redhead was causing over him ignoring her. At last she stomped her foot, and strode away, muttering and cursing loudly at him.

He furrowed his eyebrows, the answer still out of reach. Was she trying to throw them off of him? Was she doing that? Or maybe…

His eyes hardened, his gaze left the ground, and he glared at the kingdom of Selodia.

She was a traitor.

* * *

Butch's eyes followed each girls form as they passes him, imagining them all in their best dresses, wear cute little masks. He'd always loved the Christmas festival, where all the pretty girls were in their pretty gowns.

He ran his tongue over the back of his teeth as a particularly pretty blonde walked past, her short hair fashioned into a bob, and her light green dress clinging onto her frame, accenting her curves.

Oh, yes, he could not _wait_ for Christmas to come.

Other than the actual royal ball, where the only people allowed were nobility, that is. Oh, boy was that a colossal waste of his time. There were only twenty or so girls there, and half of them were under the age of fourteen. As much as Butch liked girls, he was not about to stoop to that level.

He couldn't remember much about the previous balls, only that it was boring, there were few girls, and that everyone there was snooty and self-important. There were all disgusting.

The prettiest girl there, or that he could _remember_ seeing there, was a brunette with long, long hair that reached below mid back, and had bright blue eyes. Her name was, what? Ruth? Rebeca? No, Robin. Yes, that was her. The daughter of one of one of the wealthiest merchants there was, and the descendant of one of the kings of Kuhnem, the great fallen kingdom.

She was probably the only reason he even bothered to go to the ball, never mind the short amount of time he actually spent there. Maybe this time he'll stay a little bit longer just to see her move around in that dress, a pretty red and white one, just like every year.

He'd heard that she liked apples. Even though he'd never been within five feet of her, let alone talked to her, he thought he'd make a good impression and buy her one this year. Despite his unlucky streak with women - or more specifically, women he didn't find attractive - maybe she'd give him a chance, and maybe he'd get a good kiss and good feel or two this time.

She usually hung out with the princesses of Selodia, Blossom - the one his brother was engaged to - and Bubbles, or more commonly referred to by him as "The Redhead" and "The Blonde". He never got a good look at them, considering their constant moving around, greeting, dancing, and other princess-y business.

It was a good thing Him didn't bother to make them stay there. He had always been pretty loose when it came to rules. Good ol' pops.

Butch was pretty sure there was another one of them, the sisters, but had only caught glimpses of her, and from what he could tell, she wasn't particularly interesting. Bland, to say the least. Black hair, tan skin, and a dark green dress every time; not worth stalking.

The thought of the other Utonium brought him back to Araceli, who too had black hair and nicely tanned skin. Perhaps that was common in their kingdom. Brunettes that went outside a lot.

He wondered if she would be there, Carleton, that strange girl; with her boyish outfits and pulled up hair. It'd be fun to have someone to hang out with instead of disappearing into the dark, wandering around the forests and streets by himself, trying to avoid the ball; someone to mess around and go exploring with.

Yes, he knew it was childish to want adventure and mystery, particularly at the age of sixteen, where one was supposed to "man up" and take responsibility, due to the prospect of likely getting married off soon. He just couldn't help it. He was a man - or more appropriately, boy - of action, and did not take well to sitting behind a desk all day.

He wanted to go outside, play, build forts, _discover_ forts, climb trees, shoot rabbits, and disappear for fifteen years and come back with a million stories to be told. Butch was - and would always be - a true child at heart. Growing up did nothing but make him even more bitter and vicious than he used to be.

If there was a way - any way - to stop him from aging, to let him be young forever, he would do anything to get it.

Anything.

* * *

 ** _Ok, wow. I'd honestly expected this to take me like two weeks, but I guess since most of my classes are finished - like club, after school club, and performing arts - I have more time to work on this? Oh, and I guess taking a six hour flight to Phuket did give me some (lots) of time to finish Chapter 14! Yeah, you heard - or read, whatever - it right, folks! I'm in Phuket until Jun 13th, for IHHB, though. Ugh, boring history competition that isn't even really about history..._**


	15. Understandings

**_Disclaimer: Thank Craig Mccraken. I don't - nor will I ever - own the Powerpuff Girls._**

* * *

 ** _~ CHAPTER 15 ~_**

 ** _Understandings_**

* * *

It was the twenty-fifth of November, and Brick was sitting on the bench in the corridor, tapping his finger impatiently as he waited for the King to call for him. The leaves outside had long since turned red, and when the wind blew they would flutter off from their branches, sweeping across the kingdom. The workers were going to have a hell of a time this year.

Though the streets were sure to be cold, inside the castle it was rather pleasant, warm even, due to the many torches that lined the walls, giving off both heat and light. He watched the shadows flicker, his silhouette dancing along the stone.

The heavy door creaked open, and the bright light of various lamps sure to be lit in his father's study cut a clear path through the darkness and onto his outstretched leg. He looked up through heavily lidded eyes, sighed, and rose.

"So, what is it you called me in for, Him?" He drawled, taking one step into the room, his feet inches away from the dark red carpet that lined the floor.

Across the massive sea of red, with a couple of questionable stains of an even darker variety, sat a desk and an chair. It was empty. Off to the side, though, was a fireplace still glowing with embers, two armchairs, and a small table in between with tea and cookies that smelled buttery and sweet. The one facing away from him was occupied.

"Is that any way to address your father?" The King reprimanded, His voice fluctuating madly - one of His quirks that always threw people off - and the shadow He cast shifted.

Brick scoffed and leaned against the wall, folding his arms in a defiant manner. "You're no father. You and I both know who he really is, and though I would't want to relive those memories, he was still better than the likes of you."

There was a moment of silence, and then He spoke again, this time in a much more strained tone. "Why don't you come take a seat?"

"No thanks."

"Why not?"

"Why the hell would I?"

"It's…comfortable and cozy here by the fire, and I want to talk to you face to face. Man to man."

"Like how you did with all those other people?" Brick spat, and his eyes swept across those dark, ominous blotches of dark red that were generally gathered around the area the King was. "I repeat: no thanks."

"Pish posh, Brick. Those days are gone. I haven't done anything like that in almost a year. Much too old. I think I spotted a couple of gray hairs the other day. What's next? Going bald? Can you imagine that? Me bald? It's insane!" He patted His hair self consciously, on the verge of shrieking.

"Okay, God, get your crazy vocals under control. You're going to shatter all the windows in the castle." Brick muttered, but still refused to take another step into His study.

"Son, are you really doing this? Sit down this instant."

"Don't call me your "son". And no, I won't. Standing is fine."

The King scoffed, and said, "I see you've still kept your childlike stubbornness. Glad to see that hasn't changed…"

Brick squinted his eyes, and adjusted his arms before harshly saying, "Get to the point, old man. I don't have time for this."

He was once again quiet for a while, then rested His elbows on the arms of the chair. "Of course. You're a very ambitious and busy young man; I shouldn't waste your time."

"Yes, exactly, and?"

"I've called you here today to discuss matters about Princess Blossom. It seems like there is some…ahem, _trouble_ between you two, and we can't have that."

* * *

The next time Blossom was supposed to visit had been cancelled. She couldn't go back to that place again, and risk running into whatever that had cornered her that day. She didn't care if everyone said she was just hallucinating under the pressure of having to organize a giant ball and festival. But, knowing that if she did not return a second time. the King would certainly be angered, she decided she would visit the next week to make up for lost time.

When the guards opened the door for her, they asked if she was okay, and if she had any "difficulty" getting home the previous time. She said No, There Was No Problem Whatsoever. They said Good, We Were Worried.

She could tell they were relieved, and knew something was up. Something that the King knew about, that he didn't share with the other kingdoms.

"Brick,"she announced, striding into his room with false bravado, despite feeling absolutely terrified of his reaction. "I have a question for you."

"So, just because you have a question, you think you have the right to just walk into wherever you want to, regardless of what the current occupants were doing?" He said sarcastically, propping his head up with an arm. "How charming."

"Shut up. I'm here on serious business."

His eyes widened, and he framing his face with his hands. "Oh no. Is something wrong, my dear, sweet Princess Pinky?" He mocked, a disgustingly worried expression plastered onto his face, which was once again replaced by that snarky grin of his.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, _my knight in shining armor,_ something is wrong," She replied, sitting herself down in the chair across from his.

She was tired of his ridiculous and immature shenanigans. She had put up with it for far too long. It was time for her to just drop the nice princess act and stand up for herself and those she cared about.

"I did not say you could sit there. Get up." He spat, confusion flashing across his face for a second.

"No, Brick. I'm tired of your stupidity. There's nothing you can do about me. Absolutely nothing. If you try anything, or decided to be _rebellious_ and sabotage me somehow, the only thing that will happen is your father getting mad. King Him isn't known for His kind and understanding heart, you know. I've been putting up with you for so long, it's time _you_ learned your place. Your citizens aren't particularly fond of you, you know? If someone brought up the idea of overthrowing you, and they were all united, you'd be hanged. Your younger siblings might have a chance of slipping out of their punishment, but you? Not a chance," she said, stony faced, completely serious.

"The Utoniums are - not to brag - loved and adored by the townsfolk of Selodia. They wouldn't turn against us. One of my sisters is practically friends with everyone in our kingdom, and the other is well known as an honorary member of the knights. She goes hunting with the forces of our army _every_ week. We're all one big family, Brick. We're not broken like you are."

He stared back, gritting his teeth, obviously angry at being lectured by someone his own age, not to mention the princess of the weak neighboring kingdom. But just by looking at him, she knew that he knew it was true. He had a streak. A terrible, terrible streak. One wrong move, and he'd be dead.

"What did you come here for?" He got out through his tight lips, biting back a snarl.

She narrowed her eyes, and propped an elbow the armrest, resting her chin on her hand. "I came here to talk about a monster. A monster thats been li-"

"You mean the furry, greenish stout little beast that is always surrounded by fog?" He interrupted, bored.

"Wh-yes! So you know about this creature?" She said, surprised.

"Of course. He used to be my caretaker. Quite a nasty person, if I do say so myself. Only got two meals a day before I figured out how to make money off of bets. Did not like him at all," he rolled his eyes, yawning a bit.

"I don't understand… what do you mean?"

He sighed, and groaned dramatically. "Okay, let me start over. There once were three little boys-"

"Is this a story about you and your brother's upbringing? Oh, I'm so excited!" She gasped, exciting to hear what she had only learned in textbooks from the very subject of said learning himself.

"Yes, now quiet. It's not easy telling your life story, you know?" He snapped, leaning back in the chair.

"So, there once were three little boys, blah blah blah. Okay, so I was abandoned by whoever my real parents were. Mojo took me in, along with Butch and Boomer, we worked for him, brought him food, and in return he gave us a place to stay and taught us how to live off the streets. One day he planned our greatest heist ever. To steal the crown from the King. We thought he was crazy, of course, but we still made a half-hearted attempt, despite knowing that this would be the end of us. Of course we got caught, but instead of culling us like we thought He would He decided that we were destined for something greater in life, some sort of fated destiny that 'could change the world'. He was also crazy. But, we still took the offer to stay will Him over death, as unhappy as we were. He punished Mojo for his crimes against the kingdom, though, but casting a spell over him that was supposed to turn him into a mouse. But, the witch He had brought in was not as experienced as He was hoping for, and had turned him into the disgusting beast he is today. Now he wanders the street under a full moon, either killing whoever comes his way, or driving them completely mad. The end."

She blinked. That had been so fast and short. Blossom had been expecting a long tale of hardship and coming-of-age, not just a one paragraph description.

"Thats it? That's all there is to your life?"

He shrugged. "I like to keep things concise. Besides, that's all there is. Everything else is irrelevant."

* * *

"So, Travis, you coming to the festival? It's only three weeks away." Araceli inquired, her legs dangling from the ledge.

It seemed that she had completely fallen in love with the peaceful, rolling waves of the ocean, and almost every time they went out she insisted on going to their little beach. Today was no different. It was a beautiful afternoon, much like the one on which they first came here, but this was their free day. Her sister was out on errands, while he well, this was just any other day for him.

"Of course. It's the biggest event of the year. Not to mention all the pretty girls." He replied easily, tapping his chin. He wanted to do something nice with the place. Maybe put a small basket of dried foods in that corner, fresh water over there, blankets in the back, and some other supplies by the entrance.

"Say," he continued, turning around. "how many knives should I stock? Three? Five? Ten?"

"Wait, what?"

"I'm thinking of turning this place into a hideout. You know, like if you're on the run and you need somewhere to go and stuff. What do you think?" He sat down next to her, his back to the ocean.

She blinked, then slowly looked away. "I don't know. Maybe? It seems like a pretty good idea."

"Great. So, how many?" He said in a cheery tone, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.

"I think five is enough."

Butch furrowed his eyebrows. Something wasn't right. There was something wrong with her. It bothered him that she would let something affect the way she acted around him.

"Hey, you seem really…out of it today." He leaned back, scooting forward so he wouldn't fall off the cliff, all the time watching her.

She sighed.

"No, it's nothing. It's just that my sister said I could finally…she said I could go off during Christmas by myself. She never let me before. I'm glad, really, it's just, I don't know."

"I always just slipped away. My father doesn't seem to mind much anyway. Never seems to care about anything involving me," he joked, trying to sound casual.

Araceli tensed, then sighed again. "I just, don't know. It's weird. I mean, she's really uptight about things like this. It's still going to just be her and my other sister since I always run off on my own, but it's just, this time she's okay with it."

"Hm."

"Yeah."

"I'm not really good with this kind of stuff." He lay down on his back, his eyes wandering from her face to clouds to the cave ceiling and back to her again. Butch understood what she meant. He had felt that way many times when his brother and father waved him off absentmindedly, not even giving him a second glance.

A cool breeze swept by, and her hair shifted slightly. He continued to look at her. There was a strange mix of emotions displayed on her face, and after a while, she finally spoke.

"Travis?"

"Yes?"

"I don't know if I really want to…really want to hang with Mitch and Floyd and the others this year."

"Oh."

"Can I go with you instead?"

"…Sure, I guess."

* * *

 ** _First off, sorry for not updating for a while, second, summer vacay is finally here! Hell yes! Although it's been 15 days already, I'm still super hyped about no more school! Well, now that there's no more tests or homework, I should be able to write more, so yeah._**


	16. Truths

_**Disclaimer: Thank Craig Mccraken. I don't - nor will I ever - own the Powerpuff Girls.**_

* * *

 _ **A/N: Going to start putting these in the top now since, well, yeah. More convenient? Seriously though, you're all so supportive and you're comments make my day extra special! Well, since I'm here, I might as well (finally) reply to some comments/questions (if you're still wondering that is):**_

 _ **silentprotester : Yeah, Butch and Travis are two different people. Since I revealed some backstory already I might as well clear this up. Travis is just some local kid who looks surprisingly like Butch and is really good with knives. One day, the Night Owls, a kinda secret assassin/protection group for Gadrea, decided to invite him to join so now he's a member. Since Butch is just this sadistic psycho that is just really violent, Brick decided to pay Travis to let Butch take his place occasionally so he wouldn't destroy the castle for no reason. Now they have their own little agreement after Bucth pissed Travis off where Butch pays Travis double to let him (Butch) keep being "him" (Travis).**_

 _ **And yes, that stuff is pretty confusing.**_

 _ **So, that's the one question...feel free to ask if you have any!**_

 _ **Um, enjoy!**_

* * *

 ** _~ CHAPTER 16 ~_**

 ** _Truths_**

* * *

"Hi, Brody! Perfect day to help some unfortunate people, don't you think?" Bubbles bounded cheerfully up the hill, excited to finally start the day.

He continued to fiddle with something in his hands, his back turned on her.

"Hey, Thomas! I brought a little treat for you!" She bent down to scratch the dog behind his ears, before unwrapping a small chicken leg and placing it on the ground for him.

"Brody!" She sang, skipping up to him. "What are we going to do today?"

He still didn't turn to look at her. Bubbles spun in front of him, and leaned down to give him a bright smile. He ignored her, and continued to turn the thing in his hand around and around.

"Hello, Bubbles. We're not going anywhere today. At least, you're not." He replied in an eerily neutral tone. He lifted his head, cobalt blue eyes small behind the eye mask he always wore. The sun reflected off the blade of the knife he was holding.

"Whoa, Brody, why do you have that? You're not planning on _hurting_ someone, are you?" She backed away from him, hands held up defensively.

"What is Bubbles? What are you, afraid of me? Are you afraid I'm going to—" he got to his feet, smirking. "— _cut_ you?"

She jumped back, her heartbeat thumping in her chest. She knew she was dealing with a criminal of some sort, and had enough information to turn him in. His name, his appearance up close, even the general area of which he lived. But she didn't. She wanted to investigate more. Find deeper motives. To prove that she could solve a serious case, and then some.

Guess it was all for nothing. She was going to get murdered by a crazy teenage boy, and she never got to show her wits to the world. Bubbles was going to be forever remembered as the cute, kind, baby of the Utonium family.

He took a step closer, twirling the the handle. "C'mon, Bubs, why would you be scared? You didn't do anything _wrong,_ did you? You didn't _betray_ me, did you?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about, Brody. Can you put that thing down? You're not acting like yourself!" She burst, placing one foot behind the other, her voice cracking.

"Oh, dear, sweet, little Bubbles. You think you know who I am?" he spat, making his way towards her, his head low. Suddenly, he stopped and stood up straight, eyes wide with an almost psychotic glint to them, and laughed maniacally. "You have _no_ idea what you're in for, girl."

"S-stay away from me, Brody!" Bubbles fumbled with the words, leaning down to try and grab whatever rock or branch that was nearby. "If you hurt me-"

"What?" he interjected, grinning. "What's going to happen, huh? You're just a lowly kitchen maid. Nobody's going to care if one day you just," he sliced through the air, and she let out a short shriek, tripping over her own feet and tumbling to the ground. "disappeared, right?"

"No! You're wrong! my sisters will come looking for you! They'll lock you up and send you back to the prison you probably crawled out of, you monster!"

He smirked, and arched an eyebrow. "Is that so? And how will they find me? How will they know it was I, Brody Dale? Where's the proof? You didn't _tell_ anyone about who I am, right? So how will they know?"

She stopped crawling backwards on all fours, and after thinking a bit, started giggling. "Hah! _That's_ where you're wrong! Blossom knows exactly who you are! In fact, she asked me to capture you for her! Both her and Buttercup will come looking for you, and you'll be sitting at the corner of some dirty cell soon enough! My sisters are both intelligent people with superb connections - I mean, they are the princesses, after all -"

"What did you just say?"

She rolled her eyes and sneered. "Not so smart and cunning now, are you, Brody? I said, my sisters, the princesses of my kingdom - that's right, I'm an Utonium! - know that I'm - or was, anyway - trying to capture you, and I told them everything I know!"

His expression was a mix of pure, utter rage, and hurt. A small frown tugged at the corners of his mouth. Without warning, he lunged towards her, a snarl etched onto his face.

Bubbles screamed and screwed her eyes shut, arms wrapped around her head. After a few moments, she realized she wasn't bleeding to death, and a sense of relief washed over her.

 _Thank God._

She patted all over herself, making sure none of her limbs were hurt, then turned around to see what exactly had happened.

Brody was sitting cross-legged in front of her, his face buried in his hands. He sighed deeply.

"You know, I was expecting something along these lines, but I didn't think it was _this_ extreme." He groaned.

She immediately backed away at the sight of him, and hit her head on the trunk of the tree, fright welling up inside of her again. "Get away from me!"

Another sigh. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." He reached behind his head and untied the mask he always wore around her, wrapping it around his hand. "You know, I wasn't cut out for life like this. I'm supposed to be the 'the funny', one, the one 'that's always clueless' and 'does what he's told'. I'm not sure why, but that's what my father said."

Bubbles narrowed her eyes at him, and brought her knees to her chest, trying to be as far from him as possible. "What are you even talking about?"

"I wasn't made for doing things like this, okay? Brick warned me, and I still didn't listen. I'm such an idiot. You're _supposed_ to listen to Brick. it's a rule. He was always right, and he still is. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have tried playing the hero. Or the villain. Whichever."

"I…don't get it."

He lifted his eyes to meet her gaze, fully showing his face to her for the first time. My name isn't Brody. It isn't Dale, either. I'm-" he sighed through his nose. "I'm Boomer, the son of King Him, Prince of Gadrea.

"Wait, you mean like the one of the three princes? You're royalty, yet you still steal from you're own people?" She shook her head, incredulous.

"Only so I can help the less fortunate! All I wanted was to be the hero for once, just like in those books, you know? To help others. To not be the bad guy that my father encourages my brothers and I to be." He protested, leaning forward.

"I thought Kings and Queens and Princesses and Princes were _supposed_ to help people. I thought we were _supposed_ to be the good guy!" Bubbles furrowed her eyebrows.

"I don't know, okay? I never know what they're planning!" He lashed out, his voice rising. "Brick never tells me anything, Butch treats me like some sort of - I don't know -punching bag? And my own father thinks I'm useless! Everyone says I'm the weakest. The joke. So I don't know, alright?"

"I-I'm sorry." She said, in a way more like it was a question than a statement.

"No, no. You shouldn't be. You were just doing your job. You were just trying to help people." He barked out a laugh. "Isn't funny how I want to be the good guy, but end up being the criminal? Has sort of a sad irony to it."

"But I guess it's too late now. I've been telling Brick the "Blue Shadow" was just some other random person, trying to what I did after he told me to stop. Nothing more than a copycat. He probably knows it's still me, he's just much more occupied with other…matters. Now that it's something involving the entire royal family of the Utoniums, with confirmation from an actual witness, he'll probably punish me somehow. But hey, it was fun while it lasted. See you at the royal ball. No hard feelings, alright?" He waved his hand, and began to stand up.

Bubbles blinked. Boomer wasn't a bad guy. He was just trying to live up to the standards all the princes in stories set for him as a child. In a way, he was a lot like her. Minus the actual bad stuff. Like the lying for her own benefit, and tricking others, and just being a horrible person overall.

"W-wait, no, I…I won't tell. If this really means that much to you, I won't tell." She blurt, and he turned around, eyes lighting up. "Just, don't, you know, steal form Selodia. That's off limits. Actually, so are Cador and Aleton-"

"But then I can only help the people in crummy, old Gadrea!"

"No, no, Boomer. Don't get greedy. Save your own kingdom first, then think about the rest of us. It's your responsibility to put your people before anyone else, even your own interests!"

He stared blankly at her. "Wow, you're starting to sound like-"

"-My sister, Blossom. Yes, I know. Depressing, isn't it?" She sighed.

"Still, probably not as depressing as Brick. Mr. I'm-So-Broody is the worst. Anyway, thank you, Bubbles. Really, thanks. I owe you one." He chuckled, holding his out hand out to her.

"It's fine. As long as you…let me help you. I'm always glad to lend a hand to a fellow prince or princess that's in need of a friend." She smiled, shaking it cheerfully. Despite thinking she was going to die, and that it would be a gruesome, bloody, death, today was a good day.

* * *

Buttercup stared at the dress. She was in her room, for once, and was alone. Bubbles was out, and Blossom was at King Him's.

Today didn't really feel like a good day to her. She wasn't in the mood for going outside, and all her friends were busy.

She kept on staring at it. The green fabric, the black straps, all of it just felt really…strange. While her sisters loved seeing the new dresses brought in each year, she'd always asked for the same design. Loose, flowing, and easy to move around in. Green and black - her signature colors - preferred.

Something just felt…off this year. Her eyes flitted to the two other gowns in the closet, their bright material, elaborate stitching, fancy masks with feathers and sequins compared to her bland black one…Something just felt very uncomfortable about it all.

Buttercup reached a hand out to it, fingers outstretched, but then pulled back again. She'd never been self-conscious about her role as "the rebellious, boyish one", but it was just very weird all of a sudden.

Maybe it was Blossom getting engaged, or Bubbles spending less of her time with the family. Everyone else just seemed to be…moving on so fast. Within a year "Bossy-Blossy" would be the future queen of Gadrea, seeing as Brick would probably never give up his grasp on his kingdom, and _she'd_ be left as the next heir in line.

And Bubbles. Her baby sister. With her good looks and charming smile, she too would be shipped off to some faraway land to get hitched to some fancy schmancy prince. She would have a classic fairy tale ending, with birds singing and roses and all.

That'd leave her all alone in Selodia. And after her father passes… it'll be even worse. She never thought about marrying, despite it being the custom for "young, impressionable women". If she didn't she'd be left with the ginormous weight of looking after a kingdom. and if she did, then… What would become of her?

Just another trophy to be shown off by some stuck up royal? Just an object? Would no one remember what kind of person she was before the marriage?

She wouldn't say she was afraid. She couldn't. Not after _Mitch_. She couldn't be afraid again. No, she wasn't scared. She was determined. She was determined to not let herself become nothing more that a lovesick girl that life was already down the drain. No. She'd manage to crawl out of that disgusting place once already, and she wasn't planning on going back.

 _Not after Mitch._


	17. Birthdays

_**Disclaimer: Thank CraigMccraken. I don't - nor will I ever - own the Powerpuff Girls.**_

* * *

 ** _A/N: First off I'd like to thank my lovely new beta readers, Antanomally and Timewriter. Sorry for dragging you into this after already 16 chapters; you guys are doing a wonderful job! And of course, to all my wonderful readers, sorry for not updating in a while. I wanted to give my betas some extra time to read everything. Don't worry, though. I have another chapter sitting in my computer, just waiting to be editted! I love you all!_ _Until next time!_**

 ** _Toodles!_**

* * *

 ** _~ CHAPTER 17 ~_**

 ** _Birthdays_**

* * *

"Happy birthday, Bubbles! To my favorite blonde!" Blossom sang lightly, placing a neatly wrapped gift on her little sister's bed.

Bubbles rubbed her eyes, and mumbled, "What's all—" she yawned."—what's all this?"

Buttercup jumped up after tugging on her boots, resting an arm on her redheaded sibling's shoulder, and chirped, "It's your birthday, dummy! December 1st? Remember?"

Bubbles blinked a couple times and upon letting the words sink in, leaned forward to give her siblings a hug. "Oh, yeah. I'd forgotten. Thanks, you two are the best sisters anyone could ask for!"

"As are you," Blossom beamed, clapping her hands. "Now, go on, open it! Buttercup helped; we spent a lot of time just to get it."

"Nah, it was no problem. Didn't put much thought—" The taller of the three flapped her hand before Blossom nudged her roughly. "Oh, yeah—I meant, I spent a whole day searching for this! One of a kind. Yep, best older sister ever. No doubt."

Bubbles giggled, and said, "Still not very good at this, are you?"

"Terrible!" Blossom whispered jokingly, and Buttercup shot her a look.

She folded her arm and raised her chin at the box on Bubble's sky blue duvet. "Enough talk, open it!" She urged, green eyes shining.

The blonde looked down and began to carefully pick apart the wrapping paper, making sure not to rip it. Buttercup's foot tapped quickly, becoming more and more intense each time it hit the carpet. After a while, Bubbles decided, _screw it_ , and tore the rest apart, revealing an elegant white box. In the back, Buttercup breathed a sigh of relief.

Bubbles took off the lid slowly, and gasped at the pair of heels.

They _didn't_.

She'd secretly wanted these since she was a little girl! "—Glass slippers?" She whispered, reaching to touch one. Every surface was smooth and rounded—save for the bottoms—and made from a slightly blue tinted glass, with a delicate crystal butterfly on each.

Eagerly, she kicked off her blanket, revealing two cream colored legs. Bubbles placed both shoes on the floor, her sisters backing away to give the girl more space, and spun around so her feet were dangling just a couple inches from the ground.

She held her breath as she slipped into the cool glass, then stood up. The fit was perfect, and at the bottom was a layer of white velvet cushioning so she would be able to dance away into the night without hurting.

Taking the first step, Bubbles sprang into a cheerful jig, placing one foot before the other, twirling around the room, testing the strength and durability.

"It's beautiful! Just like—" She gushed, her cheeks dusted with a light pink from excitement.

"Cinderella's," Blossom said, nodding at Buttercup. "We'd both noticed that ever since you were little you seemed to be obsessed with her, and decided to get it for your birthday."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you—both of you—so very, very much! I can't believe it. How _did_ you get it?" Bubbles questioned she sat down, loving how it felt to wear these shoes, these wonderful, flawless shoes that her own sisters bought for her.

Buttercup shrugged, tugging at the belt around her tunic. "We've been working on it since October. Took lots of convincing from the Glass-Carver and the Cobbler for them to even consider this. Finding the perfect block of glass, making sure the tools were top-notch, getting your foot measurements, and—oh, by the way, it was Kim and Robin who picked out the fabric. Pretty great, right?"

"Oh, you shouldn't have! I didn't want to cause any trouble for you guys!" Bubbles protested, putting the heels back in the box. She still _really, really_ liked the shoes, but now she felt as if she didn't earn them.

" _Bubbles_ ," Blossom warned, her hands on her hips. "You shouldn't feel bad about this. It's your sixteenth birthday! You deserve to feel special, so don't try to give it back! Besides, it's already paid for."

Despondency settled over the blue-eyed girl, but she quickly brightened up again and lept forward to crush both of them in a bear-hug. "Alright, I'll keep them! You two honestly are the kindest, most selfless sisters in the whole world!"

* * *

"I am _not_ going."

"Yes, you are, Brick. You're obligated to as the fiancé of the eldest princess. _Obligated_."

"I don't care, Ima! I refuse to go." Brick grumbled, his back to the woman that had served as his nanny since he was a child. "Princess Bubbles' birthday is none of my concern, and even if it was—why don't my brothers have to go?"

"Just do it, Brick. Maybe you can get a kiss from Little Miss Pink if you're lucky!" A voice called from the bathroom.

"Shut _up,_ Butch! Keep your disgusting fantasies to yourself." He snarled back, features twisted in a grimace.

" _Brick_ ," Ima scolded, her hands resting on her hips in a way that reminded him so much of _her,_ that he could barely even look at who was possibly his favorite person in the entire castle.

"No."

" _Young man, I will make you go to that party if it's the last thing I do_!"

* * *

Blossom watched as her golden-haired sibling descended the grand stairs in a simple—yet elegant—baby blue gown, her tiara sparkling under the chandelier light. A sense of pride washed over her, seeing her baby sister all grown-up, walking, talking, acting just like a princess should.

 _Oh, God, I feel like a mother right now_ , she thought as Bubbles addressed her party guests.

From Bubbles' friends that lived in the kingdom, to wealthy nobles that traveled across the seas just to visit; everyone was having a fantastic time.

While the youngest of the Utonium girls had her fun with the company, Buttercup was—once again—standing around in a dark corner, trying not to look conspicuous. Polar opposites, the two of them. A cheerful, energetic extrovert and a sullen, tomboyish introvert.

It was practically a miracle they got along.

As Blossom made her way through the crowd to Buttercup, making small talk with familiar faces, and welcoming the ones she did not recognize, something unusual caught her eye.

The main door opened just a crack, and someone—wait no, not just someone— _Brick_ slunk past.

She muttered his name under her breath, and it left a sour taste in her mouth.

Immediately she altered her path from her sister to the prince of the neighboring kingdom, her glare so intense the crowd parted just enough for her to slip through with ease.

Why in God's name was _he_ here? He wasn't invited. She was sure not one of the cards she sent out had his name, so why was he here? Her father wouldn't _ruin_ her own daughter's birthday by requesting the most haughty, sarcastic person in the entire hundred mile radius to attend, would he?

The rage and horror inside of her boiled with each step she took in his direction. Almost all questions cleared away and were replaced by one single, red-hot desire.

 _Get rid of him_.

Even the way he stood bothered her. With his back straight, chin up, and eyes focused down; as if everyone was beneath him. As if _she_ was beneath him.

Her glare intensified, and suddenly his gaze was on her own, eyes narrowed in what she could clearly see was contempt.

"Brick," she growled through clenched teeth, planting herself right before him, head tilted in the same challenging way.

"Blossom," he replied cooly.

"Would you care to join me outside?" She managed to pull a half-hearted smile. "It's quite cramped and stuffy in here, don't you agree?"

"Mm. I'm I afraid not, princess. You see as much as I would like to come with you, I just arrived, and would hate to leave without greeting _the birthday girl_ first." He shook his head apologetically, and if she didn't know what kind of horrible person he really was, would've definitely been fooled.

"Oh no, Brick. I'm sure my darling little sister wouldn't mind. She's busy enough as it is. Now come on, I insist."

"I really can not, it'll be rude of—"

Sick of this ridiculous charade they were both putting on, she grabbed his wrist and hissed, "You're coming with me, whether you like it or not!"

Before he could even react, she dragged him out the nearest door, and into the castle gardens.

"Wow, ever heard of personal space? Don't you _dare_ touch me ever again!" He spat, pushing her away.

She sneered back. "As if I would want to. Now would you care to explain to me why _you_ of all people are here? Can't you leave me alone for even one second?"

"Psh. You think I _want_ to be in the poor excuse of a palace? You think I want to help celebrate your dumb sibling's—" he said, face wrinkled in disgust.

"Hey! Bubbles is not dumb; she shows far greater intellect than the likes of you!" Blossom interjected indignantly.

"—birthday? 'Oh, I'm turning sixteen! I'm so special! Everyone look at me!'" Brick mocked, waving his hands about, purposely leaning down just to get in her face.

Blossom balled her fists, almost on the brink of hysteria. "Then leave! If you don't want to be here, then leave! Your filthy presence gone would do us all good."

"I can't! I'm _obligated_ to stay!"

"Well whatever duty it is you have, you're in _my_ kingdom, so I'm freeing you from them, alright? Go. Away!" She pointed a manicured finger in his face, making him take a step back.

 _Don't say it, don't say it, please, please don't say it._

"I already told you! I can't! Ima told me to come, and she sent a letter beforehand to your father, so if I leave she'll be on my ass like butter on bread!"

"Watch your mouth! And in that case, just stay out here! _I don't want you ruining Bubbles birthday like you ruin everything for me!_ " Blossom lashed out, turning her back on him and opening the door back to the party.

"Fine."

" _Great_. Stay out here until the party ends. Don't come in." She snapped, stepping from the cobblestone onto the marble.

"Anything is better than being stuck with _you_." Brick muttered, his voice barely rising over the sound of people laughing, chatting, and dancing.

* * *

"Blossom!" Bubbles giggled, tugging at her sister's hand. "I couldn't help but notice you and Brick slipped away into the gardens!" She sang. "You didn't have to sneak you little boyfriend in, Bloss! I wouldn't mind inviting him."

The redhead sighed, her pink eyes drooping. "No, Bubbles. He's not my boyfriend. Brick is a pretentious idiot, remember? He said something about being forced to come, and I didn't want him at your party, so I told him to stay outside. He shouldn't be bothering anyone for at least an hour."

"Oh, Blossom! I'm so sorry! I just thought—since you two were—oh I didn't mean to jump conclusions," Bubbles gasped, her cheeks turning slightly red from embarrassment.

"No, no, it's fine. Now, run along. Go have yourself a fabulous birthday, alright?" Blossom waved her sister off, taking a seat in one of the chairs in the corner.

Her heart was still pounding in her head after the whole incident with Brick. He was just so gosh darn annoying, everything he did made her go insane. She was just glad he didn't bring up anything about the engagement between them.

Blossom knew that must've been what he had been referring to before; the obligation to come. She'd kept pleading and pleading inside of her mind for him not to say it out loud.

Things were already complicated enough.

* * *

Brick found a small swing in the garden after wandering around for a couple minutes. He promptly sat down in it, closing his eyes and enjoying the night air. Soft music wafted from the celebration, along with faint cheers and the light clinking of wine glasses.

Solitude was much better than fancy get-togethers or just spending time with people in general.

Mm. Far superior to Blossom's endless nagging. Yes, much more enjoyable.

He opened an eye and spotted her laughing with a group of girls, reaching for a tart from one of the silver platters that the servants were carrying around before taking a small nibble.

As much as he hated parties—especially ones involving the Utoniums—he didn't particularly appreciate being kicked out. He'd thought Blossom wouldn't be so immature as to ban one of her own guests.

She made him feel so angry. With that "holier than thou" expression always stitched onto her face. Made him feel less than he was.

She thought of him as garbarge, so it was only reasonable that he thought the same of her.

Right?

* * *

 _~ end of chapter 17 ~_


	18. Friends

_**Disclaimer: Thank CraigMccraken. I don't - nor will I ever - own the Powerpuff Girls.**_

* * *

 **A/N: JESus Christ I've messed up. I...uh...I'm sorry guys. Beta still hasn't replied yet, but here's chapter 18 anyway. I'll try to update more often, but I dunno. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **~ CHAPTER 18 ~**

 ** _Friends_**

* * *

Boomer was feeling good today. _Real_ good. He had four successful runs this week, and collected over ten thousand coins worth. He glanced over at Bubbles, who was lying beside him, eyes closed and a small smile on her face.

Having her here was a plus, too.

After the whole fiasco with the knife and threatening and all, they'd cleared things up and started to work again. In fact, they helped more people than he had in a month. With her distracting charm and light feet she could easily slip out of any situation, and because of that, she gained a lot more respect from him.

"Mm. Nice weather, huh?" She murmured, inhaling deeply. "This is probably the last day of autumn we'll get until it starts to snow."

"Yeah, I'll miss the cool breeze and orange leaves," he replied wistfully, turning his body to face her.

She adjusted her long dress, revealing two brown boots. "But hey, winter means warm nights by the fire and hot mugs of cocoa, yeah?"

"I guess you're right."

There was a comfortable silence between them as the wind rustled the grass. He'd admit it, the hill was nice. She had told him it was her special spot were she usually drew, and right now, with the autumn leaves fluttering off—a bright red—it felt especially peaceful.

"Hey, you ever…you ever wonder what's out there?" She murmured.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you know, out there." Bubbles motioned at the expansive sky. " The rest of the world. It can't just be our four kingdoms; I've seen hundreds of merchants and nobles from different lands fill into the castle, waiting to see my father. Do you ever wonder what their lives are like? The stories they have to tell?"

Boomer had never gone very far from Gadrea. Butch definitely had his fair share of strange, exotic adventures, and Brick had probably gone off on diplomatic matter many times as well. He—well, he never really wanted to leave.

"No, I can't say I really have." He sat up, his eyes focused on the mountains in the distance.

"Mm," she nodded. "The farthest I've ever been was to the North Mountain. It was really pretty there, you know?"

He squinted, and through the thick clouds that always surrounded the towering peaks, barely catching a glimpse of a the summit before it was covered up again.

Bubbles went on, "Blossom was there on royal business, and Buttercup was learning the ways of the mountain folk, their unique fighting style, the incredible camouflage skills, all that. I'd just gone to have fun. It was like—no, it _was_ —a winter wonderland up there. The trees were thick and pure white snow covered their branches like a blanket. Oh, and the frozen lake was just so incredible! It was so smooth and glimmered in the sun just like diamonds, I wish I had brought my ice skates with me!"

"That sounds nice. But I for one like my life just the way it is. I love my kingdom, and I love the rolling hills and forests. As for snow, it's just water and tiny ice fractals. Never paid much attention to it," He replied, tearing his gaze away from the mesmerizing sight, and sighed in content, eyes closed.

He felt something wet on his nose, and briefly wondered whether or not it was going to rain. There was another droplet on the back of his hand this time, and he scrunched up his face, deciding it was time to go back home.

A small gasp escaped Bubbles' mouth, and he heard her stand up. "Boomer, it's snowing." She said, her voice full of wonder. "It's snowing Boomer! Winter has finally arrived! This is incredible; we were just talking about it and now it's here!"

His eyes snapped open, jumped to his feet, and quickly registered the flakes of white drifting down from the sky. Boomer couldn't believe it. It felt so unreal, how snow just magically started falling.

While he stood with his mouth slightly agape, wondering how in _Hell_ something like this just happened, Bubbles giggled with joy, twirling around and sticking her tongue out to catch snowflakes.

"What're you doing, just standing there? C'mon Boomer, dance with me!" She beamed, stretching a hand out to him, her golden pigtails flowing in the wind.

He stared at it for a short while, his mind rushing to process what was happening. Was she asking him to dance? A nice, pretty girl like her? He was horrible at swishing and side stepping and all things considered graceful. Everyone in his entire kingdom knew that.

"I, uh, can't dance…sorry?" He stammered as the smile on her face only spread further.

"That doesn't matter, stupid! This isn't some fancy party, it's just you and me out here. All that I care about is having fun! Now c'mon, dance with me already you silly boy!" She grabbed his wrist and spun him around her in a wide arc.

A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth, and within moments they were floating across the grass, now covered in a thin layer of snow, laughing.

He swung her around and around, feeling the wind blow through his hair with each turn, and his heart soared. Something faint flickered deep inside of him, something he hadn't felt since a long, long time ago. For a moment he wondered if he was having a heart attack, the tiny little pang he felt in his heart when she smiled at him, when he looked into her eyes and saw a reflection of himself.

He shook his head. No, he was just overthinking it. Probably just the cold or something. But as much as he tried, he couldn't stop grinning when she did and feeling like he was so _whole_ that he'd been nothing but a missing half until now and that she was just so…

 _Extraordinary._

"So, tell me prince, what have you learned so far? What does 'Araceli' do for a living? Her friends? Family?" Travis tossed his knife into the air, and caught it again.

"She has two sisters; one bossy snob and a dimwitted bimbo. Doesn't talk much about friends." Butch yawned, leaning against the trunk of the tree.

"That's all? What have you been doing for the past month, idiot! I didn't let you just _take_ my identity just so you could listen to her vent about family issues! Give me actual info; Hood is getting impatient!" Travis snapped, sliding the deadly blade back in his belt.

"Not my problem. Tell him there's more to this dumb girl, and that you need more time."

Travis narrowed his eyes, and kicked the bag of jewels back at him. "Fine. I don't want your money. No more deals. I'm cutting you off from any sort of…whatever sick things you do with the people we capture. It's time for you to go back the castle prince, and stop trying to fit in."

"Don't kid around, Storme. You want that money. All I'm asking for is just a way to blow off steam."

"I'm serious! Get out of my face, you sick monster. You've done nothing but cause trouble for me! Go back to your fancy schmancy life of royalty, and leave me alone."

Butch snorted. "Really, stop. You're making me laugh. Just leave the girl to me, alright? I'll find something out eventually."

"No. No way in Hell. I'm not—you know what? I'm going to go visit her now in Selodia."

"Wait, don't! You'll mess things up between us. You don't know what she's like, Storme!" Butch protested, his dark green eyes wide.

"Forget it, prince. I'm going."

Travis spun around, and sprinted off in the direction of Selodia, not once looking back. Butch tried to chase after him, but in the heat of the moment tripped over a root, and his chin grazed the sharp rocks that littered the forest ground.

"No! You don't know what you're doing! Please, please…"

Travis stopped at the edge of the forest, panting for breath. His shot a look over his shoulder, and relaxed when he saw the prince hadn't followed. He dusted off his clothes, and straightened his back.

"What do you mean 'you're busy'? It's been almost a month since I last saw you, and you come here, _in the middle of the night_ , and expect me to take that as an excuse?" A girl hissed, and his head snapped up.

"I'm sorry, alright? I can't tell you everything, you know. It's classified information. And why didn't you tell me you found that map? Now everyone thinks I'm just some lazy loser." A boy said.

Despite it being the middle of the night, Travis could still make out two silhouettes, one with her arms folded, and another standing a few feet away, hands facing up in protest.

"Because you weren't there, Mitch. You _never_ are there for me. You didn't deserve it." Her voice was laced with bitterness, and Travis suddenly realized something.

The girl was Araceli. And the boy…the boy must have been Mitch Mitchelson. The assassin for Selodia's secret scout group. He had killed one of the Night Owls' best men! What was _Araceli_ doing with someone like him? Unless…she was one of the scouts too! That must be it. Hood would be so proud of him when he delivered the information back to the Night Owls.

"What are you talking about? We've been friends since…well, forever! I've always been there for you!"

Travis took a couple steps forward, so he could see them more clearly. This was getting interesting.

"Really?" Araceli snarled back. "What about those days when you promised to go out with me, and left me waiting for _hours_ by myself, only to say you had an important mission the next day? You know how much those off days mean to me! You were the only one keeping me sane, Mitch. Seeing you every week was the only thing that kept me from snapping under all this 'princess' pressure! And you left me there! Alone and feeling betrayed, like no one ever cared for me. You don't know how hard it is for me!"

Travis narrowed his eyes, _'Princess'? What is she talking about?_

Mitch blinked, and opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off.

"All my life, my family has always told me that I was doing it wrong, that I wasn't pretty enough, or graceful enough, or know enough about my people to be a fit princess! Do you know how Blossom looks at me sometimes? Like I'm just another citizen. Just another person she has to help. Just another uneducated hooligan that she can fix. And Bubbles? Bubbles? She thinks I'm a big 'meanie'! She thinks I'm a terrifying person! I can even see the fright in her eyes when she talks to me! Do you know how it feels? For your family to regard you of nothing but a horrid, unruly monster? My own father…he…he…I know he doesn't play favorites, but sometimes I'm afraid. I'm afraid, alright? That he likes Blossom and Bubbles more than me…" She drifted off, and under the moonlight, Travis could see that her eyes were getting watery.

"I'm sorry…Really, I am. But I have to go on these missions, Buttercup! I have to. For Selodia." Mitch whispered, and Travis took another daring step.

'Fine. Fine Mitch. I have someone else to hang around with. I don't need you anymore! Just, don't ever ask me to help you or anything ever again!"

"But, BC, you're my best friend…"

"And you were my crush! All these years, even since I was twelve, I've had this crush on you, and you've never noticed! I came up with so many excuses for you—that you were too occupied with other matters; that you weren't good at picking up subtle hints—but then…then you started dating Robin! What is your problem, Mitch? Can't you see how much I care about you? How that stupid, stupid, smirk of yours always makes me…makes me feel all warm inside? I can't believe you! I…I-I _hate_ you!" She spat, shimmering droplets now practically pouring out of her eyes.

Travis stiffened. He'd heard enough.

"We broke up a—" Mitch mumbled, his head low, but stopped when the boy with jet black hair and bright green eyes stepped into his line of sight.

"Hello, Mitchelson."

"Storme! Wh-what are you—" Mitch stumbled over his own words, taken aback.

"Travis! Why are you here? It's the middle of the night!" Araceli—or Buttercup—snapped to, rubbing furiously at her eyes.

"Shut it, princess. I know what's going on, now. You might've fooled me before, but now I know. That stupid prince had no idea what he was doing…" Travis smirked.

"Buttercup, what is he talking about? Have you been hanging out with…" Mitch gestured at the boy. " _him_? Do you even know who he _is_? He…he's hurt and killed so many people!"

"No, I don't Mitch! You never told me! I thought he was just a nice guy that actually treated me like a regular, _non-princess_ person, that was my friend! I didn't know, alright!"

"Well, no matter. It's too late now—" Travis shrugged, reaching for one of his knives, but was cut off when Mitch suddenly punched him across the face.

With a feral snarl, he retaliated, abandoning his weapon and opting for a good old skin fight. Travis knocked Mitch off his feet and they both fell to the ground, filled with contempt for each other.

"What the _HellI_? Get off of him!" The princess growled, the tears gone and replaced by a blazing anger. She dove between the two, nails raking across Travis' face, four angry red lines, the blood already starting to bead.

" _Bitch_!" He kicked her off, and she skidded in the cold dirt, but quickly recovered, brushing off her clothes.

"Buttercup! Help me get this psycho off of me!" Mitch gasped as Travis ground his heel into his jaw.

" _Shut up!_ I'm not helping either of you!"

Buttercup threw a mean left hook at the green eyed boy, before stomping on the other's gut. Mitch grit his teeth, and grabbed her foot, causing her to fall down next to him. He started to get up, but Travis socked him in the nose.

"Then what are you doing, getting in between a fight, princess? Go back to your little tea party!" He scoffed, one hand clamped on his opponent's neck, effectively cutting off his air.

She made a low rumbling sound in her throat, before knocking him off of Mitch, punching his stomach so hard that he coughed up blood. "I said, _shut up_! I hate both of you equally right now!"

Suddenly they were bathed in a warm yellow glow as the back door of the castle flew open, three guards barging out, swords at hand.

"What on earth is going on here? _Mitch_? Are you assaulting the _princess_?" One of them bellowed, rushing to their side.

The two boys immediately stopped, and Travis tried to scurry away, but was quickly surrounded by the remaining two guards. He gulped.

The night had not went as he had planned. Not at all.

"Princess, are you alright?" Patty, one of the servants cried, sticking her head out the door, afraid to venture any further with the two boys still there.

Buttercup slowly got to her feet, clutching her ribs. She shot a scathing glare at Travis, then kicked him one last time for good measure.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Travis watched her as she made her way through the door, insisting that she was fine and that the maids didn't need to worry. She was short tempered, stupid, and absolutely insufferable, but she was definitely an interesting girl, that was for sure.

Next to him, Mitch stared at the open door, his eyes wide in what he couldn't tell was fear, shock, or despondency. His mouth was slightly agape, and couldn't seem to register what was happening, but then suddenly snapped out of it when one of the guards grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet.

"You two! You're coming with us to the dungeons." The man barked.

Travis narrowed his eyes at him, but stood up anyway. He willingly let them take him to the underground prison, carefully taking note of everything that they passed.

"This is all your fault, Storme." Mitch hissed as he was pushed into one of the cells, almost tripping over his own feet. "Why'd you always have to ruin _everything_?"

Travis chose not to reply, and simply sat down in the corner, a plan to escape already starting to form in his mind. He felt the corners of his mouth tug up in a smirk, and chuckled softly to himself.

The princess would never be able to go outside ever again once the Night Owls found out about her little secret. They'd monitor the entire vicinity, and if she ever dared step out of her _stupid_ kingdom again, she'd find a knife at her throat.

She'd never be able to ride in the forest or climb a mountain or even run through an open meadow.

She'd never be free again.

 _~ end of chapter 18 ~_


	19. Consequences

_**Disclaimer: Thank CraigMccraken. I don't - nor will I ever - own the Powerpuff Girls.**_

* * *

 **A/N: Dammit, dammit, dammit I can't write to save my life right now! I'm so sorry guys, this has got to be the worst writer's block I've ever encountered. Tried working on other stuff, but so far isn't going that well. Will try to get rid of this stupid thing more. For now have this** **really** **kind of crappy, kind of short chapter. Thanks for putting up with my stupid shenanigans and late updates!**

* * *

 **~ CHAPTER 19 ~**

 _ **Consequences**_

* * *

"Princess, what happened back there?" Patty asked as she knelt down beside Buttercup, dabbing at her cuts and bruises with a warm towel.

The raven haired girl averted her eyes. "Nothing important. We just got into a fight is all."

She had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep from going into a fit of rage. She felt so betrayed; the one person she thought she could trust turned out to be nothing more than a spy. A dirty, filthy spy that just wanted to kill her. And Mitch. Mitch was nothing to her. Not anymore. She'd suppressed her feelings for a year already, and she was determined to do it till she died.

Love was garbage. Trust was garbage. The only person you could ever truly be safe with was yourself, and there was no way around that.

The maid shook her head. "Oh, Buttercup. I've known you since you were nothing but a little squirming bundle, and you still haven't cease to amaze me. How about you head to bed, it's getting late."

"Alright," Buttercup sighed, rising from her stool. She muttered a few curse words to herself, started to head up to her bedroom, but then stopped at the door. "Oh, and Patty?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Make sure those two are punished."

* * *

Blossom ran a hand through her hair, exhaling loudly. This year's guest list was overwhelming; there were dukes and kings and queens and just so many nobles that she wasn't sure if she could keep track of all of them.

She glanced at her calendar. The festival was tomorrow, and it was getting her head. The streets were already decorated with streamers and lanterns, all the performers had rehearsed, and the ballroom was perfect. But that wasn't the point.

For the first time in a _long_ time, she wasn't worried about her citizens—she was worried about herself. Or more specifically, her relationship with Brick. She wasn't sure where they stood after what had happened on Bubbles' birthday, but it definitely wasn't good.

She kind of wished that she could go back in time and change whatever tipping point it was that made them abhor each other so much. But even if she could, she wasn't entirely sure when and what it was she did that caused this; he seemed to already dislike her when they first met.

Blossom let out a small groan, shoved the name list to the side, and grabbed her copy of " _Mythical Creatures of Our Lands"._ She had promised she'd find out something for Buttercup, but all she read in books were short paragraphs about nixies and kelpies and krakens that absolutely did _not_ match the description her sister had gave her.

She flipped through a couple more pages, but only more elaborate drawings of mermaids and sea serpents stared up at her. Her pink eyes drooped in exasperation, and she plopped her chin on top of the book.

Maybe it was the stress of planning a huge party, or maybe the thought of marrying someone as impossible as Brick, but she felt so small all of a sudden. In this huge, terrifying world she felt like nothing but a speck of dust with no purpose.

 _Undines are water elementals; physical manifestations that appears most often in the form of a young woman. They are flirty, playful beings that enjoying toying with humans, but can also be quite helpful at times. It is said that if they were to ever fall in love with a man, they would become human too, but is cursed to die if the man is unfaithful to her. Commonly found—_

Blossom's eyes drifted from the text to the margins, and noticed a little scribble at the bottom of the page. Right at the very corner, there was a chunk of words that overlapped each other, making it practically unreadable. Whoever had written it first started from left to right, but them seemed to turn the book ninety degrees, then continued so they were vertical lines on top of horizontal horizontal.

She furrowed her eyebrows, and held the book up against the sun. Tilting it back and forth, she soon realized that she could—just barely—make out what they said.

 _Turn right upon entering library. Third case from the left. Under the second shelf. There is a key. Remove the back panel of the fireplace. Insert key. Proceed with caution._

Blossom could hear her heartbeat rapidly thumping in her head. She'd always wondered if the castle had any secret passages or rooms. All the other kingdoms in her books were practically overflowing with underground tunnels and hidden chambers.

She tucked the book under her arm, and opened the door. Gingerly, she slipped through and made a dash for the library. There wasn't really a reason to be acting so suspicious and sneaking around, but it just felt right. The thought of looking like an idiot briefly crossed her mind, but she quickly dismissed it.

As usual, the library was empty and she immediately turned right, walked up to the third row, and looked under the second shelf. Nothing. Blossom blinked. What? where was the key? She flipped open the book again, and scanned the words again.

 _Turn right upon entering library. Third case fro—_

So where was the key? Where was her mystery? Just as she was about to stand up, she remembered something. The book didn't originally belong to Selodia. On the first page it said it was a gift to their kingdom. She opened it again, and there it was, at right below the title.

 _A gift to Selodia for assisting us in war all these years — Gadrea_

Of course. Of course, of course, of course. It had to be Gadrea. It had to be Brick. Everything just had to always lead back to him. Because he was so important, and he was so great, and it was her _destiny_ to be stuck with him forever and ever until the end of time.

 _Of course._

* * *

Butch sat inside his little cave, whistling quietly to himself as he filled the woven baskets will dried fruit. He had't heard from Travis since he threatened to go find Araceli, but since she never came to confront him, he just assumed that Travis had chickened out.

"What are _you_ doing here!"

Butch spun around, grinning. "Oh, hey Cel. What's up?"

Her eyes were narrowed, and she had a nasty frown on. "I thought the guards put you in the dungeons. What the _Hell_?"

"What are you even talking about? I'm not in jail." He let out a small chuckle, putting the lid back on the basket. Her knuckles turned white and she seemed to be struggling to speak.

"Whatever! I'll take you back later! I-I just can't believe I ever _trusted_ you. You're the most horrible, disgusting person I've ever met!"

Butch laughed and shook his head. "Alright, princess. I can take the 'horrible' and 'disgusting' part just fine, but c'mon. We're buddies of course you can trust me."

" _Argh!_ Why are you still trying to be _friends with me?_ I hate you! I hate everyone! Stop lying! That's all anyone does anymore! _Lie, lie, lie, and I'm sick of it!"_

"Woah, calm down, alright? I never lied to you." His stomach clenched and he wondered if she found out about his secret.

" _Shut up!_ I know who you are, alright? I heard you loud and clear! Can you just _stop?_ "

Butch froze. She knew. She knew who he was and she hated him for it. His gaze hardened. Well, he hated her too. He always had. She was a whiny little brat who did nothing but cry.

"So you know. Good for you, you dumb girl. Good. For. You. So, what are you going to do now, huh?"

She glared at him. "You know what?"

"What?" He smirked.

"I'm leaving. I've leaving this crappy place, this crappy kingdom, this stupid Goddamn crappy life. I don't care if I'm the princess. I'm leaving, and I'm never coming back. Never coming back for Blossom, or Bubbles, or Mitch, or my father, or anyone else. Especially not _you_ , _Travis Storme._ " And with that, she turned back around, and left.

He blinked. Travis Storme? So she didn't know? And princess? What princess? He stood there for a while, processing what had just happened.

 _She never knew who_ you _were! Just that Travis was a spy! Dammit, Butch, why do you have to be so dense?_

His eyes widened, just now realizing the terrible mistake he had made. He ran all the way up the narrow path, but when he made his way back up the cliff, there was no one there.

She had left.

He wandered back to the cave in a sort of daze, and sat down in the very spot she used to. What had he done? It was all his fault that she left. No. No, no, no, no, please no.

How was he going to fix this?

* * *

 _How am I going to fix this?_ Mitch looked hopelessly at the locked door of the jail cell. He had messed up everything with Buttercup, got dungeoned—something he usually helped do—and was stuck with _Storme_ , of all people.

He was no doubt, the dumbest person in the entire world. How had he not noticed that she liked him? _Why_ had he dated Robin and made a big show about it? Declaring that she was her everything, that she was his special snowflake, that she was all that mattered while Buttercup—his _best friend_ — had to watch?

He looked up from the floor. Maybe he should ask for help. But who? He was going to be stuck here for God know how long, and the only other person here was Storme.

 _No. Not him. He's the enemy._

He looked around. No one else was here. After screaming internally for a solid five minutes, he decided To Hell With It and walked over to the small window connecting the two cells.

"Hey, Storme."

No reply.

"Storme?"

Nothing.

"Hey I know we're supposed to hate each other but can you just help out a little?"

Silence.

Mitch shrugged and sat back down. "Huh. Guess he fell asleep or something."

Little did he know that three hours ago, not long after the night took over day, the boy cloaked in green had already made his way out of the dungeon, his eyes glinting with a hunger for blood and glory as he made his way through the forest, ready to deliver the valuable information he had gathered the previous night.

 _~ end of chapter 19 ~_


	20. Preparations

**_Disclaimer: Thank Craig Mccraken. I don't - nor will I ever - own the Powerpuff Girls._**

* * *

 ** _A/N: Alright, I think I'm making some progress here. Yeah. Short chapter. Sucky chapter. BUT. BUT, BUT, BUT, I've already kinda planned out the next two, so things should flow a bit better now. Yeah. Thanks for tolerating my stupidity and irresponsibility, guys. Best readers ever!_**

* * *

 **~ CHAPTER 20 ~**

 _ **Preparations**_

* * *

"Where's Buttercup?" Blossom screamed, pacing the room. Bubbles sighed and clutched her pillow tighter. Her sister had been gone for over a day now, and the Christmas festival was tonight.

When they woke up in the morning and found out Buttercup still had't returned, they immediately sent guards to find her. Four hours later and still no luck. She had completely disappeared without a trace.

"How am I supposed to get everything into order with one of the royal princesses gone? What will we tell the other kingdoms! Our reputation will be ruined! Oh my goodness…" Blossom chewed her lip nervously. "I'm a failure. I lost my own sister! Hah! What will everyone think of me?"

The girl's mental state at the moment was questionable, and with a sigh, Bubbles quietly got up and left the room. While her sister continued to hyperventilate, she'd have to handle the celebration.

Bubbles massaged her temples, murmuring to herself as she walked down the stairs.

"Confirm the guest list."

"Check on how the townsfolk are doing."

"Go over the ballroom decorations and make sure there is enough food."

"Lock up all the private areas so no guests wander off." She stopped a passing servant to help adjust her apron.

"Fi—Find Buttercup…" She trailed off, her eyebrows furrowing.

Bubbles didn't know what to do about her sister anymore. Over the past few weeks she had barely even had a conversation with Buttercup. The brunette only stayed in the castle for her classes, disappearing once they were all over. She even skipped dinner sometimes, which was oddly out of character for someone as ravenous as her.

She'd heard about the incident with Mitch and the Gadrean spy, and sympathized with her. Buttercup's disappearance had to be linked with what had occurred two nights ago.

Bubbles had dealt with an incredible amount of drama in her sixteen years, but nothing quite as big as this. Something about betrayal, lies and trying to kill her? She wasn't entirely sure. The castle maids weren't exactly the most reliable source of information.

Bubbles was still certain that her sister would return before the festival stated tonight, though. She wouldn't miss it. She couldn't.

The blonde opened the doors to the ballroom, and was suddenly overwhelmed by the chaos of it all. The velvet drapes were pulled apart, the chandelier were being dusted, the stairs had been polished, and off to the side the housekeeper were going over the servant's' clothes, making sure that they were all properly dressed.

She made her way through the massive, bumbling mess, waving to her friends—which was pretty much the entire room—and dipped her head in greeting when she came along the butler.

"Good morning, Alvin, how's everything going?"

"We are—surprisingly—on schedule today. Everything is going as it should, and by the time the festival officially begins, we should be ready." The tall, young man replied, the corners of his mouth lifting in confidence.

 _Great,_ Bubbles thought, sighing through her nose, _the single most important day of the year and everything is going perfectly, except for the fact that Buttercup is gone._

"And all the private rooms are locked up?"

"Of course."

"Wonderful! I'll be heading off into towns soon to check on how everything is outside, but would you mind giving me the guest list to go over one last time?"

"No problem, miss." Alvin nodded as he pulled out a small notebook from his coat, and bowed slightly before hurrying to steady the ladder where a maid was balancing on.

With a final glance, Bubbles walked out the doors and into the courtyard.

During spring the trees would be bright green, blooming with flowers, the hedges perfectly trimmed after the long months of cold, and flowers of all colors would line the paths.

Right now, however, in the icy blueness of winter, the barren branches were covered with a blanket of snow, the grass and flowers hidden under a layer of white. Everything sparkled in the yellow white rays of the morning sun, the raindrops from previous nights frozen on the branches of willows glittering like diamonds.

Bubbles shivered as she pulled her coat tighter around her. She hadn't expected it to be this cold out.

The castle was probably hundreds of years old, designed by the finest architects of the time. With magnificent arches, towers that reached up to the sky, and twisting halls, it was one of a kind. She made her way to the gates, and nodded curtly to the guards before stepping onto the paved path into town.

The lanterns were already strung up, and despite it only being noon, Bubbles could see that stands were already set up in the streets, people milling about and checking out them out before the crowds rushed in at five.

She could already tell this year the festival was going to be a success.

That is, if Buttercup returned.

* * *

"I swear to God, if Butch is dozing off somewhere, the moment he returns I am going to _kill_ him!" Brick fumed, pacing the room. Boomer yawned and flopped back onto his bed.

Butch had only been gone a little over a night, and that was absolutely nothing to worry about. His brother was always disappearing off the strange places. Although, it _was_ the day of the Christmas Festival, and Boomer could see why Brick would be so furious.

"Don't worry so much, bro. He'll be back before three—no, four. Until then, relax a bit, go for a stroll around the castle, take a nap, something. If he doesn't come back by then—"

He was cut off mid sentence by the door slamming open, revealing a crazed look Butch with a scruffy looking shirt and hair that was more ruffled than usual. Both Brick and Boomer whipped around, one practically glowing with rage, the other with a lethargic grin.

"Hey! Welcome back, whatcha been up—"

Once again, the blonde was cut off by one of his brothers, but this time it was because the eldest of the three had pinned Butch to the wall, eyes narrowed.

"Where the _Hell_ have you been? We are supposed to be in Selodia's _Goddamn_ castle by _five_ , and you come in _an hour and a half_ before we need to leave? Who do you _think you are?_ " Brick growled, pressing his face closer.

Boomer shifted on his blue duvet, unsure whether or not he should stay or leave. His older siblings were always at each other's throats, and it made him immensely uncomfortable.

Butch glared back at Brick, his gaze unwavering, dark green boring into bright red. There was a tense silence between the two, which broke when Butch scoffed and pushed his brother off of him.

"Whatever, it's not like you actually care." He muttered, folding his arms and turning away.

"I asked a question, you _obtuse ass_ , and I expect an answer." Brick's voice came out in a low rumble, and the other stiffened.

For a moment Boomer wondered if a full blown fight was coming their way, and quickly looked around for a place to shrink into and become inconspicuous.

A grimace crossed Butch's face, before he muttered, "I was just looking for someone. 'S not important."

"Well then, the next time you decide to _look_ _for someone_ , try not to be so ignorant and maybe check the time, _alright?_ "

"Yeah, sure."

As his dark haired brother made his way to the bathroom to take a shower, Boomer noticed that his usually bright, alert eyes had become dull and glazed over, something incredibly uncharacteristic of him. Butch was always on the move, always processing his surroundings, always up to some mischief. Right now, he just looked defeated.

Brick flopped back down on his chair, his head in his hands. "What am I going to do with him?" he mumbled to himself. He ran his fingers through his hair, sighing.

"Um, we should get dressed." Boomer said as he stood up uneasily after a lot of internal screaming, and cursed at himself for making it sound like a question.

Brick's eyes were closed, but he nodded, taking a deep breath. The shorter of the two remained idle for a few moments, unsure of what to do. His older brother coughed and pointed to the closet.

"Oh, um, yeah."

* * *

Blossom stood in front of the full length mirror, admiring the dress. The cranberry red hem brushed the ground and she could see her maroon heels peeking out from under. Her skin tingled, and she rubbed her bare shoulders uncomfortably.

"Too revealing?"

The girl whipped around to see her Bubbles standing in the doorway. The blonde was clad in a beautiful strapless blue layered dress, and long white gloves. She looked stunning. Slowly, Blossom turned back to the mirror.

"I suppose. I don't usually wear anything without sleeves—or at least straps….I just feel a bit 'exposed' if you know what I mean." Blossom tipped her head at her sister.

"Oh, but you look absolutely gorgeous just like that!" Bubbles strode over to the wardrobe and began to rummage through the clothing. "It would be a shame to cover it all up. Live a little!"

Blossom bit her lip. She'd admit that she looked pretty, but it just felt wrong. So many people were going to be there, and she didn't think that she could show so much skin in front of a crowd that big.

"I don't know…" She mumbled.

"Alright, here! Try this on." Bubbles handed a deep red collared cloak to her and stood next to the mirror. "It'll cover up your shoulders and stuff."

The pink eyed princess carefully pulled it around her neck, and fastened the silver clasp. It stopped right below her rib cage, and was light enough for her to move her arms around in. Bubbles beamed as Blossom traced a finger over the delicate embroidery.

"I didn't know we owned this."

"Me neither," Bubbles shrugged, stepping back. "But it was in the back of the wardrobe, so I assume it belongs of one of us."

"Mhm."

For a moment there was a comfortable silence between the two. Bubbles rested a hand on her sister's arm. "We should get going."

Blossom's eyes flitted to the clock. Quarter till five. "Yes." She managed a faint smile and began to walk to the door.

"Hey—wait what about Buttercup?"

The redhead froze, feeling a prickling sensation on the back of her neck. "Her horse is gone, but other than that, nothing. They traced the tracks to a shallow river, and lost her after that."

"What are we going to tell everyone? We can't let this get out to the public!"

"Just—" Blossom sighed through her nose and twisted the knob."Tell them Buttercup is not feeling well and unfortunately won't be attending this year."

Bubbles was suddenly blocking her path, eyes wide. "I'm worried about her, Bloss. I know that she can take care of herself, and that she is much stronger than we take her for but what if she's in danger? All alone out there. I don't...I don't want anything bad to happen."

"Don't worry," Blossom reassured, gently maneuvering her sister out of the way. "I've given this some thought and she's probably just wandering around like always. She'll be fine. Besides, Mitch and the rest of her friends are still out there searching for her. They volunteered."

"I—"

"Bubbles. Please. I'm concerned too, alright? I just choose not to be pessimistic about it. Buttercup will be back in no time."

After a moment of hesitation, the pair of bright blue eyes lit up. "Yeah, yeah. You're right. Totally. I'm gonna have a great time tonight. Yeah…" Bubbles' grin returned and she pranced down the hall. "C'mon we don't want to be late!"

Blossom chuckled softly to herself. Everything was going to be all right. The festival will go accordingly, she'd be able to catch up with a few of her other friends, and there was no way she was going to let something ruin it.

Tonight was going to be wonderful.

 _~end of chapter 20~_


	21. Colors

**_Disclaimer: Thank Craig Mccraken. I don't - nor will I ever - own the Powerpuff Girls._**

* * *

 _ **A/N: My dudes I am so sorry like a BaJillIOn TiMeS how could I just darn diddly darn I'm a horrible person! I am sorry so so sorry so so so so so so so so so so sorry I just wanna punch myself in the face wait I'll do it right now yep ow but I deserve it I am such a terrible author. No gonna lie, I've only written one chapter this entire time...I just HECk I want to kill myself for being so inconsistent and just ughhhhh. On the otherhand though, I've outlined my entire story and all the arcs! Properly! Well, kinda? It's kinda messy and difficult and arbitary but I've read through all of my ridiculous comments and future plans like 6 times and I think it's pretty good? I hope you guys will like it!**_

 _ **I'm not gonna promise that I'll update soon, but I'll certainly try! Hopefully with the help of my notes things will move much faster and flow much better!**_

 _ **I love you guys so so so much more than you can imagine and just thank you so much for sticking around after all my crap! If you feel like unfollowing, go ahead, I really truly deserve it. Just know that I cherish each and every one of you okay? 3**_

* * *

 **~ Chapter 21 ~**

 _ **Colors**_

* * *

Buttercup gritted her teeth as she set the rabbit over the feeble flame. Anger boiled inside of her, and she dug her nails into her thigh until blood started to bead. Years of pent up frustration, heartbreak, and fear that she had refused to let out were flooding her senses. Everything around her was tinged with red.

She stormed over to the small creek a feet meters away, her feet burning with each step. As the current washed away the blood on her knife, she caught a glimpse of the moon in the blade's polished surface. It was full and bright tonight, silvery rays shining through the canopy of leaves. A full moon on Christmas—something that only occurred every three decades or so—and she was missing it. The party, the food, the warm fuzzing feeling she got whenever she was with her friends...

 _No,_ Buttercup thought forcefully, tossing her knife to the side. She never liked those parties, or the food, or Mitch or Travis or her sisters or anyone. They were all nothing. Just people, just illusions, fake, fake, fake, all of it was fake. Their relationships didn't mean anything. Nothing did. It was all just in her head. Everything they ever said was just—just lines from a script. Everything was just in her head. Nothing was real, nothing mattered.

She had always been alone, and she always would.

Buttercup sucked her lips between in her teeth and looked back down. The flickering flames of the fire cast a reddish glow onto the water, and she could just make out her reflection.

The wind had whipped her matted hair out of her ponytail, turning it into a tangled mess. She hated how long it was, how it always got in her way, how she only kept it long because Mitch liked it better that way, how weak and pathetic she was for doing so.

She hated it.

Her knife flashed and black strands were swept away by the current.

She hated it.

Grabbing the mass taut she sliced through another chunk. The neck length tips brushed her neck.

She hated it.

Buttercup flipped her hair over her head and lopped off another good two inches. Dilated green eyes stared back up at her in the water. The cold wind tingled against her bare neck.

Breathing heavily, she staggered to her feet. The knife slipped out of her hands and landed with a muted thud onto the snow. She felt a wetness on her cheek as she stumbled back to the fire.

 _Don't you dare!_ She thought numbly to herself as the flames in front of her became clouded and fuzzy. _Don't you dare fu—_

"I'm not! I'm not gonn—" she bit down hard on her lip. Barely registering the cracking of the fire, the night breeze, and the pair of glowing green gazing at her from behind the trees, she reached for the cooked meat.

She tore a chunk off with her teeth and chewed furiously, desperate to ignore the tears now falling freely onto her boots. The girl let out a small hiccup, and bit down on a leg.

The bushes rustled. She didn't bother to look up. The rabbit slipped out of her trembling hands. Her chest heaved in and out, her breathing becoming irregular.

Why. Why, why, why, why, why. She didn't understand anything anymore. Nothing made sense. The world spun, and suddenly she was aware of how incredibly, utterly terrified she was.

Buttercup didn't know what it was, or why she was sobbing, but fear gripped her. Darkness wrapped its arms around her torso and she gasped loudly, a quivering cry ringing throughout the forest.

A colored blob emerged from the leaves and stood still for a moment, before pouncing at the forgotten meat. Anger—the only emotion she was familiar with—took control again, and she bared her teeth, reaching to swipe the creature away.

Her arm was barely outstretched when a her stomach lurched. Pain washed over her in waves, and unable to choke back her tears she sobbed louder.

All these emotions. The hate, the remorse, the terror, the sorrow rushed through her all at once, leaving her conflicted and confused. One moment she wanted to scream at the world—curse at it for bestowing this life upon her. Yet the girl had to fight the urge to slump onto the ground in despair, to let the frigid cold take her and wipe away her thoughts.

She hugged her knees, eyes squeezed so tightly that dots danced in her mind. There was a feral hiss, followed by the barely detectable crunching of snow under paws. A soft thump sounded beside her, the barren log she sat on splintering under the extra weight.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, Buttercup pinched herself hard, biting her lip to keep herself from crying out once more. Clouded green eyes opened, and she accepted everything.

Accepted that she was no one. That she was lost. That she was helpless. Her vision sharpened—making the dark seem less dark, and the fluttering leaves glitter brighter.

The shape next to her transformed into a large feline. It's unusually yellow eyes were narrowed as they regarded each other warily.

 _A lynx._

Buttercup darted a glance at the branch from which her bow hung. She gnawed at the inside of her cheek and tried scooting away a bit. The beast put a paw forward.

Shoot. It would attack any minute.

Carefully, slowly, she reached down and grabbed a fistful of snow. As their gaze met she hesitated, but quickly recovered and threw it in it's face.

It snarled and lunged forward, but by then she was already at the tree, her arrow notched and aimed directly at the soft part of its neck.

The lynx paced around her, baring its teeth. She breathed in deeply, and as she exhaled the arrow cut through the air, striking where the creature was standing a second ago.

The girl immediately backed up against the wood, her eyes scanning the perimeter for the feline. A branch creaked above her, and her met with yellow ones.

She blinked and shook her head.

It's coat had turned a shade of dark green, shadows seemingly blending into the colors, creating an effect that resembled the swaying leaves. If she looked to the side just a bit it would fade back into the branches.

Immediately she spun around, now properly facing the beast. This was going to be...tricky.

They held each other's gaze in terse silence. The branch creaked once more, and the Lynx pounced. Buttercup barely had time to react, and it's outstretched claws raked across her left leg as she dove out of its way.

Grimacing in pain, she reached for the knife strapped to her belt, eyes trained on the Lynx as its pelt slowly reverted to the pale splotched white from before.

She unsuccessfully made an attempt to stand once more, the deep gash that extended from mid thigh to her calf oozing with dark red blood.

 _Dammit,_ she winced, her leg burning with each small movement. The creature padded forward, it's paws barely making a sound against the snow.

Buttercup jabbed the knife warily in an attempt to scare it off, but to no avail. With a snarl it lept once more, pinning her down as it's lips pulled back, showing off a pair of glistening white fangs.

Now breathing heavily, the girl squirmed viciously, letting out an ear piercing shriek as it dug its claws into her shoulder. In a fit of rage she buried her knife deep into where it's front legs and torso met, crawling backwards as it roared in agony.

With a feral hiss it limped off into the darkness, leaving behind a trail of unnaturally bright blood.

Buttercup propped herself back up against the tree, wincing at her injuries. What the _hell_ was _that?_ She'd never seen anything like the creature before, and highly doubted anyone in Selodia did either.

She properly took in her surroundings, no longer obstructed by numbing despair or blazing anger. The leaves rustled in the wind, and she was vaguely reminded of the ocean waves she so loved. Buttercup shook her head and squinted.

What was that? Over there.

No—all around. If she focused her eyes she could make out tiny floating luminescent specks in the air. Their ethereal glow made the whole forest seem sharper, the colors cleaner and brighter than they ever were back home.

She reached out to one, but as soon as she got close it dissipated. What _was_ this _? What was going on?_ Her mind now hazy with confusion and wounds throbbing, Buttercup shook her head and grimaced.

Wait. _Now_ what was it? It felt almost like the earth under her was _moving_. Tremors running through the roots and dirt, energy coursing through the veins of the forest.

Was she going crazy? She was pretty sure that she was going crazy. Maybe the pain from cuts on her leg and shoulder were causing hallucinations.

Buttercup wasn't exactly a doctor, but she was fairly certain that when people started imaging floating lights and the earth moving it meant they were about die.

Her head drooped. She was tired. So, so tired. Was this it? Was she dying _right now?_

Gosh, she'd imagined going with a big bang, not alone and slowly descending into madness in the middle of god knows where.

But she was so, so, tired.

 _Screw it,_ she thought lethargically, a crooked smile stretching across her face. _What's there to live for anyway?_

The world faded into darkness around her as she wondered wistfully when they would find her cold, limp body.

* * *

Colors. Bright, bursting colors swirling together on the ballroom floor. Greens, blues, pinks, purples, reds. None of them captivated him like they used to.

He kept telling himself—commanding himself—to forget it. It didn't matter. Why should he care if some dumb girl ran off? It's not like the consequences would affect _him_.

The Night Owls would take it out on Travis, and Butch wouldn't even bat an eye if his doppelgänger was beaten to death right in front of him.

Screw Travis.

So why did he keep feeling this way? Why did he feel like he messed up big time? Why did he feel like he needed to go out there right now and find her?

"Butch."

She was a loud, obnoxious, clingy, whiny little brat.

" _Butch."_

He hated her.

 _Goddamnit Butch snap out of it."_

He blinked. "What?"

Bricked glared at him and grabbed his arm, pulling him away from the dark corner he had been standing in. "Stop looking like a depressed heartbroken sap and get out there."

"I don't want to."

"Can you stop acting like a goddamn five year old and do aomehring _right_ for a change? You like that girl right? The one with the long brown hair and blue eyes? Go! Shove your tongue down her throat for all I care, just stop—stop whatever you're _doing_ right now." His red eyes glowed, grip tightening on his brother's green jacket.

Butch blinked again.

" _Do I need to repeat myself? Go!"_

With a quick Ok, Ok, Relax, the dark haired boy was sent off into the flurry of nobles.

He scanned the room, skipping over the blue eyed blonde giggling with a group of too-young-to-even-try-anything girls, and the orange haired girl clad in red conversing with finely dressed royals from across the sea. His gaze landed on the girl wearing the white gown wth red accents.

He made his way through the crowd, relieved that there was finally something to take his mind off Araceli but he could still feel his insides twist in uneasiness.

Butch fumbled with a way to approach casually yet charmingly. All his special tricks and lines seemed to have vanished into thin air. He couldn't think of anything.

The boy stepped awkwardly next to the brunette, shooting nervous glances.

"What's—uh, hello!" he chirped, just a little too cheerfully.

The girl turned toward him, smiling brightly. "Hi! I'm Robin!"

He'd forgot her apple.

He shifted his weight from one foot to another. "I'm Butch."

"Oh!" Her hand flew to her mouth. "You're one of the princes of Gadrea!"

"Uh, yeah."

"Where are my manners?" Robin curtsied, dipping her head. "Pleasure to meet you, your highness."

Butch knit his eyebrows and chewed on his bottom lip. "Same to you. And really, none of this 'Your Highness' stuff. It's not that big a deal."

Her blue eyes twinkled as she murmured,"Oh, of course."

He turned back to the dance floor. She rubbed her arm, averting her gaze a well.

"So, do you want to dance?" Her voice was a soft, unsure whisper.

There was a moment of silence.

"I'm sorry, but no, not really."

Her face fell. He continued to look at the colors. The swirling, endless colors.

"Oh."

Greens, blues, pinks, purples.

With a curt nod he excused himself and headed outside into the gardens. She didn't protest.

The moon was a pale shimmering disk against the darkness of the night sky. The hedges around him were covered in a layer of white.

Greens, blues, pinks.

He could see the all the townsfolk gathered in the streets of Selodia. Bright lanterns were hung from the lampposts, making the whole city glow with an otherworldly light.

Greens, blues.

He turned to the mountains and forests. Was she somewhere in there right now? The endless sea of trees, the snowcapped peaks, the unknown that lie beyond the borders of their kingdoms.

Greens.

 _~end of chapter 21~_


	22. Steps

**_Disclaimer: Thank Craig Mccraken. I don't - nor will I ever - own the Powerpuff Girls._**

* * *

 ** _A/N: geez I am sorry. That's all I have to say. Kinda busy with life and crap so yeah..._**

* * *

 ** _~ CHAPTER 22~_**

 ** _Steps_**

* * *

Brick was about to lose his mind. Completely, utterly, lose it. Butch was acting like an antisocial fool, the music was _too goddamn loud,_ and he whenever he caught a glimpse of the orange haired princess—which was far too often for his liking—he would turn, biting back a groan.

He focused his attention back onto the bearded, lanky man in front of him. Brick scanned his eyes over the suit that fitted far too loosely on the duke's form, doing nothing to hide his poor posture and too-long arms. Somehow he was still babbling on about his _wonderful, educated,_ niece who was "somehow still unwed", forcing Brick to nod his head with faked interest.

The poorly strung together jumble of words that went through one ear then out the other was irritating. He was _almost_ on the brink of ever so _regretfully_ informing the duke that he was engaged to the neighboring princess just to shut him up.

Almost, but not quite.

It would take more than just a pest of a man to make him announce his father's arrangements like they were something to brag about.

However, this conversation was still tiresome to the young prince. As soon as the there was a break in the duke's never-ending tidal wave of useless words, he excused himself.

The man's face fell, but Brick didn't care to converse with those that did nothing but talk about their own pathetic lives. He had made one step towards quieter company when the light clinking of metal on glass resounded through the room.

King Utonium stepped up onto the raised platform his throne resided upon, turning to face the crowd of finely dressed guests. Due to his slightly above average height, Brick could see Him give the king a curt nod.

Utonium cleared his throat before speaking, "As you may have heard, my eldest daughter Blossom," He raised his glass at the girl in the red dress, who smiled in return. "is to be wed to King Him's eldest son, Brick. We hope that the uniting of bloodlines would offer initiative for the ending of our war, and pave a path for a brighter, more prosperous future."

The room burst into applause, but murmurs flooded every corner when the clapping died down. The king of Aleton seemed indifferent enough to the speech; his daughter, however, strained a smile as her eyes tapered to slits. Plutonium, on the other hand, was grinning with such unnerving fervor it added to Brick's suspicion that he had never wanted to the war to end, only to grasp to the rush of adrenaline one felt whenever in both mental and physical battle with another.

"Now," Utonium began again, silencing the last commenters, "my daughter and Gadrea's prince shall have the first dance of the evening."

Brick felt the room turn unbearably cold but remained a neutral gaze. He could see Blossom stiffen, slowly turning towards him, her knuckles white as she gripped her dress. This was sure to be disastrous.

A space cleared in the center of the dance floor for the main show of the night. He made his way to the princess, the eyes meeting when they neared one another.

As if they had been dance partners for years, their hands clasped together the moment they stopped; his other to her waist, and hers to his shoulder.

The music started up again; a slow, soft waltz that drifted through the room like a midsummer breeze. Brick had heard this song a thousand times—practically memorized the notes after years of playing it on the violin and dreary dance lessons.

When the cue to take the first step sounded, they sprang into motion, the skirt of her dressing flaring as the clouded look in her eyes lifted.

Neither of the two dancers stumbled throughout all their spins and dips and water-like movements.

Brick had been expecting a crowd-pleasing performance from her, but he was still surprised at how well she managed to keep up with him.

A minute passed, the music was coming to an end. The crowd had begun to bore despite the flawless execution of each and every step. Out of his peripheral vision, Brick could see a some of the nobles in the back yawn, waving around their useless fans and muttering to one another. A burst of rage exploded in his chest.

With barely a second of hesitation, he spun her out in a wide arc that just barely grazed the first row of onlookers, the hem of her skirt going almost up to mid-calf.

He could feel the eyes of every one of them now; especially the disgusting, bright-eyed dukes and lords whose gaze traveled up her bare leg, a predatory grin barely concealed under that facade of dignity.

He felt his mouth tighten and twitch with irritation, felt his grip turn to iron against her hand, felt those perverse men look down as he shot invisible daggers of fire at them.

Satisfaction washed over him, but he still held the gaze of anyone who dared to stare too long or peer too closely.

At long last he angled his line of sight back towards his dance partner, supporting her weight with his hand, her bright pink eyes as large as a doe's, a faint pink dusting her cheeks.

* * *

Flames. Hot, burning flames licked the inside of her chest. Blossom's breath caught in her throat when she twirled outwards, her fingertips brushing the coat of a noble before being snapped back into Brick's arms.

She looked up in surprise and saw his slightly narrowed eyes focused on those gathered around as they continued to move in rhythm.

 _All he cares about is impressing them,_ Blossom scoffed in her head, the contempt she felt anchoring her back to reality.

He suddenly sidestepped; the change in direction causing her to narrowly miss the last step, but he covered up her mistake by dipping her low, his hand on the small of her back and face inches from hers.

Her thoughts fled in panic at the barely existent space between them and she fought desperately to keep the blush from rising but to no avail. The corners of his mouth tugged up in what could've been a sneer or a smile, his piercing red gaze focused on her.

The music slowly faded, and the pair straightened as applause swept the room. Her eyes lingered on him for a fleeting moment, but she quickly composed herself and curtsied for the crowd. Brick bowed slightly, and she felt her nostrils flare a bit at the disrespect and arrogance.

The room returned to normal, a small circle cleared around the pair. She sucked her lips in, the vibrant colors around her blurring together in an formless painting.

Should she make conversation with him?

 _No, of course not,_ the voice in her head flooded her mind.

"No, of course not," she whispered.

 _Go. Go. Talk. Talk. Go._

Those words pulsed through the ballroom: through the floors, through the air, through the people, through her.

The voice of reason that had guided her for years faded into the background, replaced by this irrational, impossible thought.

 _Go._

The world her sharpened—almost as if she'd put on a pair of spectacles, bringing clarity to her mind.

She made to turn towards him, to confront him about that magnificent dance, to try harder to make things work—

A gown so red that it made her's seem like faded roses blinded her line of sight. A beautiful—beautiful like a lie, beautiful like the dark of the night—girl clad in blood that curved around her form stalked up to Brick.

Her fierce orange hair cascaded down her back, yet did little to cover how exposed her dress was. Blossom wasn't sure how anyone allowed one to enter this party wearing the off shoulder piece with the back open up to just above her behind

The girl threw a look at Blossom—who was nearly a hand shorter—that made the princess boil.

Her velvet red eyes narrowed as her head whipped around to face the prince again.

"Sooooooo, Brick," her lips parted to reveal a row of perfect white teeth, and the way she unnecessarily dragged out the word made Blossom's blood curdle.

A small smirk, however, played across the boy's mouth.

"Hello, Berserk."

 _Berserk? Berserk Plutonium?_ Blossom's shoulders raised involuntarily at the name. Why anyone would name a child "Berserk" was beyond her. It was such a derogatory term.

Berserk's grin widened, a hint of madness in her eyes. "How about one last dance before you get shackled to Utonium?"

Her thumb insulted the shorter girl's face, a blatant jab meant to rule her up more.

But Blossom knew when and where things should be done, and this was not one of those times. With a very much strained nod she made her way to her place next to Bubbles, who gripped her in excitement.

"You were fantastic out there!"

"I didn't know he could dance like that!"

"Oh Blossy, I wish _I_ looked as pretty as you."

They were no more echoes of nothingness to Blossom's ears. She was focused intently on the couple in the center of the dance floor.

Berserk leaned close to whisper something in Brick's ear, her diamond earrings glinting under the light of the chandelier.

She stepped back, her eyes alive and blazing. The pair of bright red orbs swept the room, and a large circle cleared once again.

Another waltz started, though this time instead of a breeze it was a storm.

The wildfire of their movements set the floor ablaze.

Blossom struggled to look away, to forget about the way Berserk had hooked her leg around Brick's, how he grinned fiercely when she did so, how they struck the mouths of others open.

But she couldn't. She couldn't tear her gaze away from the tendrils of fire that licked the floor when the pair moved. She couldn't.

The music thudded in her brain, the notes of the piano and each time the bow struck the violin filling her mind, the figures continuing to spin.

It stopped. As abruptly as it had begun, the music and the tapping of heels faded like a winter sunset. Silence swallowed the room.

Then the whispers began. All around her, the people began to talk. Never ending voices that screamed louder than any song.

"She was much better than the other one."

"Together those two would be indomitable."

"Such passion—the makings of a great king and queen,"

Blossom caught a glimpse of sharp white teeth before Berserk pressed herself against Brick, whispering something into his ear again. For a second she thought she saw his brows furrow.

The red-eyed girl's face hardened and she growled something to him before closing the space between their lips.

And lingered. She lingered for far too long. He _let_ her for too long.

In a moment of complete lack of rational thought, Blossom turned on her heel and strode through the crowd, all the way out the door.

She didn't get far.

From her peripheral vision, she could see two slim figures slink towards her, the light from the party casting pitch black shadows onto the cobblestone. Her pace quickened and she looked straight ahead.

The clicking of their heels followed.

"Hello, Utonium." A female voice murmured, the words curling around Blossom's shoulders, sending shivers up her spine as their eyes met.

"Brat."

The blonde smirked. Behind her, Blossom could see the glowing green eyes of Brute, the other Plutonium sister. Her dark hair was cut short, and the seething glare she shot at the girl in pink was unsettling.

"And Brute."

A low rumbling came from the addressed, almost like a growl.

"Fancy running into you here, Blossom! Aren't you supposed to be inside like a good little girl?" Brat laughed.

"Aren't you?" The redhead shot back. This conversation was pointless and she wasn't about to waste her time entertaining a pair of bloodthirsty hounds.

Brat's deep blue eyes glimmered.

"I never said _I_ was a good little girl."

Blossom's teeth clenched, and she felt her eye twitch.

"What do you want?"

A scoff, followed by the narrowing of eyes.

"I saw the way you were looking at Brick."

"I don't know what you're talking abo—"

"Doesn't matter, princess. He's off limits. You better stay away from him and our sister."

"Or else," Brute spoke finally, the darkness in her words the only explanation needed.

Blossom felt her anger rise. "Off limits? You think I _want_ to be around him? You think I _want_ to be engaged that egotistic elitist? What do you expect me to do? Never talk to him again? To create further tension between the kingdoms?"

"A romantic relationship is not needed for a successful marriage. Don't cross the line and nothing will happen to you or your family." Brat's features dropped the sly, teasing façade and turned cold.

This was too far and too much. Blossom could not believe what the two girls in front of her were saying. This was insanity. It had been insanity ever since that stupid peace talk with Gadrea.

"Fine," she snarled, pushing past the pair.

Brat and Brute remained there with no intention of following, four glowing eyes against the shadows of the castle. After the other girl disappeared into the distance both of them turned back to the party, satisfied.

* * *

"We can keep doing this," she whispered into his ear, her breath warm. "Your little arrangement with the princess of Selodia doesn't have to affect our relationship, Brick. I forgive you for that idiotic ordeal, it's all just an act after all. Underneath the layers of false stability, we can keep seeing each other. You want that, don't you?"

Brick hesitated.

He should be saying yes. He should be glad that Berserk was so cunning and understood his situation. He should be. But he wasn't.

Berserk's grip on his tunic tightened, and her stare the color of fresh blood on white snow. With unnecessary violence she pulled him closer, forcing their mouths together.

And he felt his eyes widen, felt his shoulders rise in surprise, then felt himself giving into that feeling. The feeling of anger and pain and wildness that he bathed in his younger years. His body relaxed, his lids drooping as he leaned into the kiss.

 _No._ The quiet voice inside of him muttered.

 _No. No._

His eyes snapped open.

Struggling against her iron hold, Brick managed to push her away.

"What are you doing?" He hissed, wiping furiously at his mouth.

Berserk didn't respond, her fingers reaching up to touch her red lips. She raised her head at him and grinned.

"What you want me to do."

 _\- end of chapter 22 -_


	23. Chances

_**A/N: Heyyoooo I'mbackk sorry for the long wait :( I've got another chapter coming up soon! I've already finished around half of it and I still have the flow so it shouldn't be too long! Love yall! - LittleMissAlleyCat**_

* * *

 _ **~ Chapter 23 ~**_

 **Chances**

* * *

His heart fluttered.

Her dress was an iridescent palette of glimmering blue. The finest fabric found in their country; softer and more delicate than the wings of a butterfly.

On her feet were crystal heels the color of melted snow; the caressing light from the chandelier spun into glowing reflections onto the smooth marble floor.

Golden strands were clipped back into a soft bun atop her tiara, loose curls framing her face; her eyes seemed larger, her jawline more feminine. Tiny diamonds were woven through her hair, illuminating her crown and creating an otherworldly appearance.

Stretched from ear to ear, bright and white and the most valuable treasure in the room was her smile. Sincere, innocent, dazzling.

The laugh that rang clear through the music was like a cascading waterfall. Bubbling and clear and life-giving. Whenever it faded he longed to hear it again.

Her.

 _Her._

She was an angel. An angel whom he was graced with the pleasure of dancing with.

His heart fluttered.

In a euphoric haze of bright, laughing eyes and melodic laughter he was swept away into the streets of the kingdom, paper lanterns that glowed like darting fireflies on a warm summer night dotting the deep blue of the sky.

The smoky smell of grilled meat with its juices bursting out with each bite and syrupy desserts topped with snow-white powder sugar and brightly colored confectionaries that were enchanted to pop in one's mouth filled his lungs wafted, mixing and complementing one another to create an unreplicable scent of festivity and joy.

Next to him, Bubbles—having left her delicate glass slippers back at the castle and instead opting for a pair of short brown boots—giggled, her dress flaring with each step. The tiara was gone, too, her hair now resting in soft bouncy curls over her shoulder.

On his other side were Robin and Mike, Bubbles' childhood friends. Robin was clad in a modest red and white dress, while Mike wore a tunic, his jacket draped over one arm.

If Boomer tilted his head up, he could see dancers and costumes and gymnasts flying down the streets, their vibrant clothing casting dark shadows onto the cobblestone; the contrast bringing out their large, sweeping movements. He never wanted to blink, never wanted to lose sight of the hypnotic scene for even a second.

Bubbles pulled their group to the front of the crowd with excitement, desperate to get a better view of the performers, her smile growing ever larger, the corner of her eyes crinkling until he could barely see the baby blue.

A laugh escaped his lips when sharp tug dragged him back. He tried to shout for help and grab onto someone, but the music swept his cry away, mixing it with the hollers that wafted from the parade.

His view of Bubbles' glimmering golden hair was blocked by a mass of bodies, and he couldn't help but feel like he was drowning in a pit of writhing darkness as the light faded away and the darkness of an alley closed in. Pale skin and zaffre eyes restrained him.

" _Boomer_. What are you _doing_ out there with those—" the girl scrunched her nose in disgust as she tried to think of a degrading enough adjective with her limited vocabulary skills." those _putrid Selodians?_ "

He blinked, trying to adjust to the dim environment. "I-I what?"

The girl let go of his shirt, throwing her hands up in frustration. Her pale yellow curls looked like lightning against the dark walls. "Ugh! Do they have something _I_ don't?"

Hand on his chest, Boomer coughed, standing upright. "Brat, could you maybe stop—" Another cough; her thin eyebrows angled down in irritation. "Trying to ruin my life?"

"Could you maybe stop trying to ruin _mine_?" She hissed.

"I'm not doing anything to you!"

" _Exactly_." The princess growled, pointed teeth flashing. "Why won't you pay _attention to_ _me?_ "

"Because you're a psychopath!"

"I thought we were friends!"

Boomer inched back towards the main street. "Emphasis on 'were'. We stopped being friends when you tried to _strangle_ that boy from Aleton."

She moved forward and blocked his path, the whites of her eyes glowing in the moonlight. "That was three months ago! And he wasn't even hurt that bad!"

"Just leave me alone, alright? I've found better company." He felt something rising up in his throat and tried to force it down.

" _How is the idiot princess of Selodia better company?_ "

"She's a hundred times kinder and more patient than you'll _ever_ be."

"Hah!" Boomer felt his veins burning with anger at her snort of laughter. "What use is that? I'm prettier, smarter, and better than her in every which way."

"Enough is enough! I've tolerated your tantrums and screaming and—and _spoiled_ behavior since we were twelve! I'm done." He pushed past her, sighing with relief as he entered the circle of love and laughter and life again.

The girl watched with furrowed brows and clenched teeth as he disappeared into the crowd, his glimmering golden hair blocked by the mass of bodies.

* * *

She wrinkled her nose. This wasn't the first time the young girl had stumbled across a dead body, but it still left a slimy taste in her mouth.

Sighing, she set her precious woven nest of firefly-mushrooms on the snowy grass and hiked up her dress. The oozing blood stained the slush a dirty red, and she was cautious to avoid the patches.

She squatted next to the dead girl, who was little more than a grain of pepper in a bowl of salt which the world sat in. Short uneven hair covered the corpse's features and pale-tanned skin, the deep claw marks in her leg clearly from a common lynx.

The girl with shimmering bronze ringlets placed a finger under the body's nose, performing the mandatory step her father had drilled into her brain. There was never any breath, but she still followed the rules every time. However, a small puff of warmth just barely—just barely but still—kissed her skin.

A wave of shock traveled up her spine, causing her to nearly fall back in surprise. Procedures, steps, rules, precautions, guidelines flew about her mind, and for the first time she struggled to remember what all Outer Ring citizens had to.

Her hands moved of their own accord, flying around what was no longer a corpse—no longer an object, but a girl not much older than her, balancing on the edge of life, ready to soar off any second.

* * *

Buttercup burst upright in the bed, her stomach simmering, her hair plastered onto her forehead with sweat, and dressed in a nightgown that was not hers.

A cool ray of sunlight shone through the slightly open crystal windows, pooling onto the covers. Her eyes fell to the glass of water perched upon the nightstand. Her mouth was burning, too. Flinging the covers off, Buttercup dove for the liquid-relief, dousing the roaring fire inside her lungs.

A bundle of needles stabbed her left leg. She cursed and glanced down. There were bandages winding up from her the middle of her calf up to her thigh. Her brows knit as the memories flooded back.

Clenching her teeth, she sat back down, her fingers slowly peeling away the white cloth inch by inch. Her flesh was left pink and raw, a thousand tiny creatures prancing across the surface. As if a painter had used her skin as a canvas, three pale streaks ran along her leg, stark against her tan.

Soft creak of footsteps sounded against aged wood, and in a blur of black Buttercup's head shot up. The shut mouth to the room open slowly; revealing a fair girl with wide eyes. There was a gap in time as both stared at one another.

"You're awake."

"Yes."

The girl swallowed.

"Why am I here." Buttercup said, masking her surprise at the raspiness of her voice.

"You're—you were injured." Her burgundy gaze jumped to and back from the bandages on the floor. Buttercup resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"And who are you."

"I'm, uh, I'm Klaeir. I live here."

"How long?"

"Since I was born."

Irritation flurried inside of Buttercup as she repeated her question. "How long have _I_ been here?"

"Half a night and a day. Two days."

 _How did I heal so fast?_ A voiced murmured inside, but was quickly pushed aside as she remembered yet another thing.

"How far away is Selodia?"

The younger girl's brows twitched. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish as her face turned blank.

"Y'know, under King Utonium's rule? One of the four kingdoms." Buttercup felt her heart beat faster with each word, the ignorance of this dumb little girl carving a hole in her mind.

"Oh! The Denounced! _That's_ where you're going? I wouldn't recommend venturing out there... but it's a around three days on horseback."

Three days. Three days was not enough. Buttercup gripped the bedsheets. Three days was not enough. She had to _get away_. Three days was not enough. She needed to escape; needed to start over.

"What's in the other direction, then." Three days was not enough.

Klaeir spoke as if she had memorized the path from a textbook, her face going blank once again, but this time in trance.

"One day north is Solitius, Town of the Middle Ring. Three is Wohlhabendi, City of the Inner Ring. A week is Mediphantia, home of the Royal Family. Eleven days is Mittlence, Sister Town to Solitius—"

"Mediphantia?" Hope and possibility ignited the fire again and burned the roof of her mouth. A new kingdom.

"The epicenter of all magic. The city of life." Klaeir nodded.

Buttercup didn't hear what she said. The memory of a castle she had been building for years under layer upon layer of clouded seawater resurfaced, bobbing on roaring waves that now turned into ripples of thought. A castle inside in a city, looming over the mountains, looming over the world, yet invisible to all. A faded, crumbling vapid wonder of walls and doors and rooms and miles, thousands of miles away from everyone else snug in an alcove between houses. A world inside a world existing for mere seconds as others strode past.

" I'm going to Mediphantia. Where's my horse?" She breathed.

"You're leaving? You just woke up!"

"I appreciate you taking care of me, but I think I can decide what I want to do, and when I want to do it." Buttercup snapped, anger flaring again.

"I guess," Klaeir sighed, her shoulders slumping with the weight of the world. "I'll go prepare your things."

Her enormous, drooping puppy eyes made Buttercup squirm in her skin. Bubbles would make that face whenever she was sad. Guilt rushed down her throat, making her swallow uncomfortably.

"Thanks." Buttercup, a fidgeting mess of dark hair, clenched teeth and confused, angry looks, muttered as her gaze shifted out the window, focused on the bright purple birds clustered on a branch, heart shaped turquoise markings decorating their puffed chests. She'd never seen such a variety before.

Klaeir's head popped back into the room.

"By the way, what's your name?"

Startled, Buttercup took a moment to consider the question.

"BC."

* * *

She checked and double checked and triple checked. The map Klaeir had given her pointed in this direction. Buttercup adjusted her satchel, fingers tapping against the strap as Spitfire neared the edge of the woods. She looked up at the brightness through the trees. Seven days.

Seven days since she left the Outer Ring. Seven days of traveling alone, seven days of strange creatures, seven days of the unknown. Ten days since she left Selodia. Ten days of confusion, ten days of hope, ten days of the impossible. This had to be it. Klaeir had told her.

She prodded Spitfire gently, and felt the breeze of beginnings before she emerged from the trees, her heart swelling with an unknown feeling, a feeling that she bathed in and longed to keep forever.

Cliffs rose up from either side of her, water gushing out in the lake below. From the edge of the forest a long bridge stretched out in front of her, a pathway suspended in the glimmering reflection of the sky. In the center of the clarity and rebirth, was Mediphantia, all Klaeir had told her and more.

Straight ahead were the houses, mansion, shops, schools. A shimmering sea of clean walls and red-tiled roofs. Weaving in and out among the buildings were the residents of Mediphantia, some milling in the markets, some with children, and others leaping from house to house, tinted wings keeping them afloat.

Pure, warm-cold white spires pierced through the clouds, red and orange flags swimming against the winds, fluttering with pride against the blue of the sky. A tremendous castle with hundreds of rooms and thousands of windows with the light shining through and mixing the colors of the glass was erected in the center of the city, it's glow reflecting off into the city.

Buttercups breath caught in her throat.

This was it.

 _\- end of chapter 23 -_


	24. Stairs

**A/N: Heyyyy sorry I know said I'd probably update earlier but ehhhh sorry school's been kinda...distracting recently. Anyway, here's another chapter! Please read and reveiw? thankkksssss - LMAC**

* * *

 _ **~ Chapter 24 ~**_

 **Stairs**

* * *

Blossom paced about the dimly lit stables, gripping her dress till her knuckles turned white and scolding herself silently with each step.

She shouldn't have lost it like that. It was completely unacceptable.

Her horse, silvery coat catching the light of the lanterns hung high on the beams, neighed softly when she rested a hand on his head.

"I should probably go back, right Moonlight?" She murmured into his chest, stroking his mane. The slow beating of his heart warmed her bones.

The stars, whispering to the wind, gazed back at her when she turned around to face the sky. She inhaled deeply.

She shouldn't have gotten so upset, but she did.

A faint glowing blur against the stark black of the night, the castle of Gadrea loomed in the distance, the closest kingdom to Selodia.

 _Turn right upon entering library. Third case from the left. Under the second shelf. There is a key. Remove the back panel of the fireplace. Insert key. Proceed with caution._

Should she go? Right now? Blossom knew the answer was a definite No, Of Course Not Are You Insane, however, the barely existent option still lingered in her head.

"What do you think?" Moonlight whisked his tail as she breathed the question. "It's disgraceful, rude, and completely out of line, but…in the end it's still my choice."

Her horse twitched his head slightly in her direction, a slight movement—a nod of consent. Blossom smiled, her heart pounding in her throat, ready to leap out any second.

"Let's go, then."

* * *

Blossom climbed onto the gray steed, adjusting her dress and placing her tiara into a pouch on the saddle with care. A gentle flick of the reins and she was off, nothing but a cloak of darkness.

From his place behind castle wall, Brick frowned as he stepped toward where she had been moments ago. Where was she going? What was she _thinking?_

He could feel himself getting angrier and angrier at the thought of her running from the party. The party her _father_ was hosting, the party _everyone_ had to attend, the party that _he_ was attending.

Was she leaving because of him? Was he so _repulsive_ that she couldn't bear to stay? Brick balled his fists. Well, if that was the reason then he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of getting away.

Lifting the lock of another stable, he grabbed one of the leather saddles airing on the wooden gates, and threw it over the brown horse waiting obediently inside.

Digging his heels into the horse and tossing the reins, he bit down on his teeth.

No, he would give her the _damn_ satisfaction.

* * *

He flung open the castle doors angrily, the bang of wood against stone startling one of the guards positioned outside. Brick glared at him with fervor.

"Why did you let her in."

"I-I—she's the princess, sir."

" _A_. She's _a_ princess. Not your princess. You let her in without permission again and you'll find yourself out on the streets, you hear?"

The man gulped. "Yes, sir."

* * *

The slam echoing from downstairs made Blossom jump. The floor trembled and the tapestries muttered to one another anxiously. The girl turned to face the direction the sound had come from. She took a step towards the stairs. A snarling voice berated one that sent off waves of fear and regret.

" _A_. She's _a_ princess. Not your princess, for that matter. You let her in without permission again and you'll find yourself out on the streets, you hear?"

"Yes, sir."

Brick.

* * *

Brick was on the verge of tearing this whole goddamn pile of trash down in his fit of pure rage. He stormed up the stairs two at a time, glaring at disgusting, woven portraits of his "lineage".

He wanted to rip them all down and burn them until nothing but ashes remained. Then he would burn the ashes, too.

His keen hearing picked up on a muted thud of heels against carpet, and his snapped to the direction of the library. So, that's where she was trying to get in.

Blossom's eyes were wide in anxiousness. Not fright. No, she definitely wasn't frightened. Not at all. No way. Brick couldn't do anything to her anyway, could he?

She nearly cried at that small sound her shoes made with each step she took. Pressing herself against the wall of a corner, she desperately hoped he would go the other direction.

She could feel him approaching. The top step of the stairs. The landing. Ten meters. Nine. Eight…

* * *

Brick grabbed her arm, his eyes glowing and mind drenched in a thick sap of deep red. Blossom froze, terrified of turning around to face the consequences.

"Why are you here?" He growled, his grip tightening. She grimaced. "This is _my_ kingdom, _my_ castle, _my_ hallway. _Why are you here?_ "

There it was. That doe-y, innocent, wide-eyed look she pulled off so well. Her lips parted, to speak, and his chest tightened.

"Who the _hell_ do you think you _are_? Don't you _care_ about appearances? What happened to 'being the good girl'? Does anyone else know you're here? I'm so goddamn mad—I can't believe this!" He hissed, letting her go. His chest burned, burned hotter than the sun. "Do you know how _fucking_ dangerous it is at night? Especially during a full moon? Mojo—fucking Mojo—do you know what could've happened to you? What was I going to do after everyone found out that you—"

He couldn't bring himself to say it. A ball of crystal was lodged in his throat and he couldn't swallow it down. The flames died, blue ice suddenly encasing him.

* * *

Lava was pouring over the edge. Her whole body shook.

"Why should _you_ care? Huh? I can do whatever I please! Go find Berserk! I'm not your _damn_ property! Leave me the _Hell_ alone!" She screamed, molten rock erupting from her heart and pouring into her veins.

He almost lost it. He almost _fucking_ lost it. One small tip and he'd be falling off the cliff. Almost. Fucking. Lost. It. She didn't have the right to talk to him that way. She didn't know anything.

She was just some dumb orange-haired girl in some dumb pretty dress in this dumb stone castle in his dumb useless kingdom in the dumb fucking goddamn world.

And now she was walking away.

She had the _nerve_ to walk away from him. His vision was oozing purple from the red and the blue all swirling together and his anger fading and exploding and his mind in a perpetual state of unknown feeling.

His hand reached out and grabbed desperately at her.

* * *

The world was stuck in a vat of amber syrup. Blossom felt a sharp tug at her neck as the clasp of the cloak loosened. Her eyes widened, red seeping into the pink.

* * *

The world was melting like warm chocolate. The rose fabric was a drowning dove. It fluttered a bit—just a bit, though—before falling down, down, down, down then limp. Limp in his hand. Pale skin. Pale, milk white skin.

* * *

The world was melting like warm chocolate; the world was stuck in a vat of amber syrup.

A bright flash of piqued pink and red regret. His cheek was the surface of the sun.

Fifteen billion degrees.

It didn't hurt. No, it didn't hurt or sting or travel up his spine or make him wince even a little—it blazed.

* * *

Her flaming frozen hand hung limply as her legs carried her forward in wobbling heels, barely keeping her upright. She couldn't believe she did that. The guilt was already settling in, and it hadn't even been ten seconds.

Blossom could feel him standing behind her, slack-jawed and his fingers reaching up to touch the red welt. She could feel his eyes narrow, his stare burning into her back. She could feel him blink.

She could feel him sigh as his footsteps followed hers.

* * *

His mind a burnt field. Nothing but ashes and smog and the murmuring echoes of the blackened grass. He tread behind her, the cloak seized tightly in his hand weighing him down.

She stopped.

In front of the library door.

For a moment, he stood behind her, brows twitching. Blossom's shoulders slumped. She turned around, despair painted over her face. Her gaze shifted from the floor.

"I'll pick the lock for you." The words escaped from Brick's lips before he could swallow them. He fell into a coughing fit.

Blossom blinked hard. "R-really."

"I-I I don't know. Yes? I'll need a pin, though."

She stepped to the side, reaching up behind her head to remove a hairpin. "Thank you."

His hands worked by themselves. The thin pearl studded metal wriggled in the keyhole, and a few moments later, the door cracked open.

Blossom brushed passed him, mumbling to herself as she navigated through the towering bookshelves.

"Here, here!" she exclaimed to herself, gathering her dress up to her knees before squatting down and fumbling under a shelf.

His interest now kindled, he moved next to her to see the object grasped in her hand. A dusty golden key lay in her palm, no bigger than his index finger.

"What is that?"

"It's—oh, I'll just show you! I can't believe this! It's real, it's real! How is this possible? Oh, I'm so excited! Where's the fireplace?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, opening his mouth to say, "It's about seven shelves down—on the back wall. What are you talking about?"

She took his hand in hers, and he almost yanked it back, but she was already tugging him along.

"I read in a book—in a book oh, I can't believe—I think there's supposed to be some sort of secret passage! This is amazing! Do you know _anything_ about it?"  
He shook his head, mouth dropping open slightly. A...secret passage? He didn't know of any secret passage in the library. Sure, there were a couple here and there around the palace, but he'd never explored the library that much.

Glass doors closed off the five-foot tall hearth, but she flung them open with ease.

"Help me remove the back! You're going to need to bend over a bit; it's kind of a small space—" She stepped over the wood, her arm stretching eagerly towards the fireplace.

"There's no _back panel!_ What are you _doing?_ " He demanded.

"Just wait a moment, alright? You'll see! Please let this be real, please, please, please."

She ran her hand over the wall fireplace, searching for a crevice or ridge or anything, anything that could let her continue to fantasize and hope. The tips of her fingers brushed passed something, and she latched onto it.

Brick's mouth twitched as he leaned forward to see, now quieted by the possibility. Blossom pulled hard, and his eyes widened, the throbbing in his cheek subsiding.

It didn't budge. Brows knitted in frustration, she tried again. This time the panel wriggled out a little, but not enough to fully dislodge.

"Let me try," Brick said, nudging her out of the way. She nodded, massaging her sore hands.

He gripped the ridges tightly, sucking his teeth as the stone groaned in protest, removed from its spot. Behind him, Blossom let out a whisper of cheer.

A faint breeze shifted her hair when she leaned towards the narrow, dark passage. His brows lifted. She walked into the abyss, a soft _click_ sounding as her heels fell upon the stone.

"Wait," Brick grabbed her arm. She flinched."We don't know what's in there."

"You don't have to go."

"No, it's not—I'll go—just…" He took a torch from the wall. "I'll go first."

His heart was racing when he took the first few steps, bending over to avoid the low ceiling. Behind him, Blossom bristled in irritation, but followed, too.

The tunnel widened significantly after a while; they could walk with their backs straight and side by side, but neither of them chose to do the latter.

"Stairs."

"What?" Blossom said, leaning forward.

"There are stairs going down. I'm not sure how far, but I don't see a bottom." He moved aside to reveal a gaping hole in the floor, with narrow steps jutting out of the walls.

Her mouth was dry. She swallowed, but it didn't help much.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Let's go." She replied nervously, her soft murmurs of laughter echoing.

"Are you sure? There's no turning back after this point. If there really is something down there—something dangerous—I'm not sure we can make our way back up very fast. One small trip and down we go." His gaze burned.

"Yes." Her voice cracked. She cleared her throat. "Yes, I'm sure."

"Alright," he descended the first step.

"Into the unknown we go."

 _\- end of chapter 24 -_


End file.
